A Life In Darkness
by The Silver titan
Summary: Ruby, born blind, has managed to overcome her disability through rather unconventional means, and has enrolled in Beacon Academy two years early. Follow along as her unique situation puts her in new hardships as Salem begins to make her move against Beacon. Blind Ruby AU Will follow augmented canon. Credit to redlikeroses1 on Tumblr for the cover.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ And here it is, my new story, featuring a "Blind" Ruby! So, to explain how certain things work, Ruby is for all intents and purpose, blind, her eyes serve no function, however through the use of her aura, she was able to overcome it in such a way where she can still be a huntress. Her aura let's her see the aura of living things, ironically in color, and in the presence of grimm, she see's black void. While explaining how it all works would be important, it would also result in a three-page paper for the authors note, so I'll just explain as I go so as to keep everything fresh. Anyways, enough stalling, let's go!**

"Summer, we just got back home, and the doctor said that there is nothing wrong with her." Tai spoke softly as he wrapped his arms around Summer, her pregnancy showing clearly.

"I know Tai, but something just feels wrong, and it has me scared. I want my baby girl to grow up strong and healthy." Summer spoke with worry. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and as it progressed, she could feel something was wrong with the new life growing inside her.

"And she will, we'll all make sure of that. Now come on, I think it's time for you to rest now." Tai ordered softly as he helped her onto their bed.

"Thanks, my dragon, wake me up when Qrow comes back with Yang, alright?"

 _*One month later*_

"Come on Summer, push!" Tai exclaimed softly. Summer had gone into labor a week early. With Qrow having taken time off to watch Yang should this happen, the married couple had ben able to rush to the hospital in record time.

"One more and we're there, now breathe." The doctor ordered. As she did so, Summer prepared herself to push again. As the doctor ordered her to push, the wails of a newborn could be heard in the room as Summer and Tai sighed with relief.

"And you have a healthy baby girl!" The doctor exclaimed as Tai cut the cord, allowing Ruby to be handed off to be cleaned.

"You did it Summer, now we have our own little gem."

 _*Three months later*_

"Tai, come here please." At the sound of his wife, Tai rushed over. He could almost feel the worry pouring off Summer.

"Tai, put your finger in front of Ruby's face and move it slowly." Summer ordered. As he complied with the request, Tai noticed something, Ruby wasn't following his finger at all. As he continued to move his finger over her face, Summer suddenly snapped her fingers just off to the side of Ruby's face. That was when Tai realized something was wrong, Ruby reacted to the sound, but not the movement.

"Tai, do you think?" Summer couldn't even finish her sentence before she began to choke back a sob. Pulling out his scroll, Tai began to search for anyone that might be able to come quickly.

Thankfully Qrow was free long enough to watch Yang, as Tai and Summer hurried out the door, little Ruby bundled up and in Summer's arms. Rushing to their pediatrician, the unsettling possibility of Ruby being blind began to settle in both their minds. Tai was the first ones to say anything.

"So, if she is blind, then what?" Tai asked, completely unsure of how to start.

"I don't- I don't know. We'll have to watch over her closely. I just hope she isn't, I want her to be able to see this beautiful world we brought her into." Summer was barely able to keep from weeping outright as Tai sped through the forests of Patch.

"You know what this means though, right?" Tai asked, knowing full well Summer knew. Both were well accustomed to the traditions of the small island. If Ruby was blind, they knew the whole island would be supportive, but outside of their small world, there would be no hiding it.

Arriving quickly, hurried in and after explaining the situation, were able to be seen immediately. Waiting in the small examination room, the couple did their best to keep Ruby happy. As soon as Ruby quieted down, the doctor stepped in.

"Summer, Tai, I'm so sorry you had to be in today. So, I'm told little Ruby here might be blind?" The doctor asked.

"Yes, mister Slate. I noticed it today while I was playing with her, she only seemed to look in one direction at any given time but would react to noise nearby. That was when I tried to get her to follow my finger." Summer explained.

"Alright, I think you might be right then, but I have to run a few procedures, and we'll know for sure. I do hope though that I'm wrong." Doctor Slate offered. Quickly he set about getting to work. After thirty minutes of checking her eyes and ears, he had his answer.

"Summer, I'm sorry, but it looks like you were right. Ruby is indeed blind. However, there is some hope, her hearing has already begun to compensate for her lack of vision." Slate paused, allowing the information to settle. Summer was unable to form any logical response, as she sat there, listening to the words ring in her head.

"So, what does this mean for us?" Tai asked, hoping Summer would be able to chime in.

"Well, as it stands, there is nothing we are capable of doing for her directly, however there has been some recent breakthroughs regarding aura. Some specialists in Atlas are reporting that some of their blind patients are able to 'see' again. It's all completely new and untested, however I would say it's worth it to try and unlock Ruby's aura." Slate explained.

"And this wouldn't pose any danger to her?" Summer asked, holding Ruby close to her.

"Cases of infants with an unlocked aura are rare, however there is no proven danger in doing so. I can guide you two if you would like, if only to mitigate any possible risk." Slate offered "And yes, it is something best done by the parents if it must be triggered."

Looking to each other, no words were exchanged between Summer and Tai.

"I think we'll take the chance. Is there any explanation on how it works?" Tai asked.

"So far, everything points to it being purely about aura, patients are describing what we've been able to interpret as humanoid shapes. We believe that their aura interacts with another's and it allows them to see. One even reports being able to see grimm, however we're still attempting to understand all of its limits, but for now, it's showing that it works." Slate explained as he pulled out copies of the research. Handing Tai, a copy, Slate waited for a response.

"Yes, we'll do it then. If there is a chance she can understand grimm being near her, then I'll take that chance." Summer spoke, unwavering.

"Alright then, I'll talk you through the process then."

 **AN/ And there we go, Ruby is blind, Summer wants to make damn sure Ruby will be safe, and Tai just wants his family happy. Next chapter will still be introduction, but I promise we'll end with Beacon, I swear! After that it will be another time skip to the beginning of volume 3, only because that's where I want to truly start off. This world will be heavily AU by the way. Many plot points will remain the same, but the time frame will be completely different, as will certain events. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ So here is chapter two, and I want to address some things first. In response to some of the reviews, I will be forgoing the time skip to volume three, as it has been shown that you would rather read more blind Ruby interaction, so I will deliver. Second, especially if you are logged in as a guest, if you leave a review saying tat this story or concept sucks, please explain why. Saying something sucks, or is stupid, does nothing but show you hate something for what it is, not for any logical reasoning. Anyways, last chapter of the world building, and then I'm alternating over to Shrouded Truth and getting back on my 'schedule' now let's go!**

"Ruby! Where are you?" A worried Summer shouted as she patrolled the wood line behind their house. Ruby had grown quite well, despite her impairment. She had regular checkups, both by her doctor, as well as a scientist from Atlas, a deal having been made after Summer refused to go to Atlas. Despite Ruby being blind, she was quite energetic, and loved to hide.

"Ruby, come on, it's going to be time for your checkup soon!" Tai called from the back door as he finished preparing lunch. Suddenly, a gust of air flew past them, trailed by rose petals. Summer could only stare in astonishment. Ruby, despite being six years old, had her semblance. While Summer was stupefied, Tai could only laugh at the dark humor presented to him. "Who would have guessed, that our blind daughter, would be a ball of energy with a speed semblance."

"Well, now we have something new to show them."

 _*one year later*_

"Ruby, come here, it's time to do your aura exercises." Tai called. Summer would normally do this, but she had to be away on a mission right now.

"Dad, do I have to?" Ruby asked as she readjusted the black cloth over her eyes. Ever since Ruby was old enough to understand what the cloth signified, it rarely left her head.

"You want to be a huntress, right Ruby?" Tai asked, silently cursing Qrow for being right.

"Yeah, but I always do these exercises, can't we take a break, just once?" Ruby asked, looking up at Tai.

"Ruby, if you want to be a huntress, you have to be able to see the grimm. Otherwise you'll never make it, and while I still don't like the idea, if it's what you want, I want you to be ready. Do you remember what Schnee told you about aura?" Tai asked as Ruby sat down in their yard.

"That every living thing has an aura. The grimm have no aura, so for me to see them, I have to train myself to see them." Ruby recited, still pouting.

"That's right. Now Ruby, focus your aura, bring it to your center." Tai instructed, readying himself. Tai knew there were grimm all around them, it came with living so far from town, so if she could see grimm, it would be here first.

"Alright, good job my petal. Now, spread your aura out, and tell me what you see. Tai had planted many different items around the yard, ranging from a small frog in a cup, to a dust crystal, even Zwei on the edge of the tree line.

"I see a frog. I see, I see a crystal. And I see Zwei." Ruby rattled off. Satisfied with her answer, Tai pushed on.

"Alright now Ruby, push it out further. There are grimm in the woods all around us, tell me what you can see." Tai instructed. Tai waited, keeping himself busy with his thoughts as Ruby expanded her aura.

'The dust crystal came completely out of left field. So far, she has been the first to show any signs of seeing dust. Just what else will she be able to do?'

"I see a bird." Ruby broke him from his thoughts.

"That's good Ruby, do you see anything else?" Tai asked as he moved closer to the tree line.

"I see, I think, a pig?" Ruby spoke, unsure of her answer. This worried Tai, as to his knowledge, there were no pigs or boars on Patch.

"Describe the pig Ruby, where is it, what can you see?" Tai asked as he prepared himself.

"It's this way." Ruby pointed, still sitting "It looks, hazy, like I can't see it very well. It's looking at us. Dad, I'm scared." With Ruby's final sentence, it finally clicked in Tai's mind. Suddenly, a boarbatusk sprang from the trees.

"Ruby, get inside, now!" Tai ordered, standing between his daughter and the grimm. With Yang having opened the door to see what the commotion was, Ruby made a beeline for her.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Yang asked, as Ruby felt around for the door handle.

"I see the grimm Yang, I'm scared." Was all Ruby could say.

"Hey, that's good, isn't it?" Yang asked, trying to console her younger sister.

"Yeah, but I wasn't ready." Ruby whimpered as she could see Tai lift the grimm over his head and slam it to the ground. She couldn't get the black, hazy void out of her mind, and it terrified her.

"Well, now you are, can you see dad right now?" Yang asked, receiving a nod, Yang continued "Alright, now try to see the grimm again."

Unsure of Yang's motives, Ruby complied. What she saw surprised her. She watched as the shape of her father twisted and moved around the grimm, wrestling it to the ground. Even with her lack of definition, Ruby was still able to pick out specific movements.

"I can see dad, and I can see the grimm." Ruby spoke in wonder now that she was able to pick out parts of the fight. Sadly, Tai managed to break the neck of the grimm, killing it. Standing as it dissolved, Tai looked back to the house to see Yang holding Ruby. As Yang opened the door, Ruby turned to face her father.

"Are you alright Ruby?" Tai asked, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I saw you beat up the grimm." Ruby stated rather proudly.

"Good, now we can tell mommy that Qrow can start to train you." Tai said as he ruffled the short hair on Ruby's head. Hearing her laugh brought a smile to his face.

'Some day Summer, she'll make a fine huntress, just like you.'

 **AN And done! I wanted to include one more scene, but then I realized that it would be pushing what Ruby can do too far. So as to how Ruby can see, her aura is in constant use, as to why she is training it. Her ability to see is tied directly to her aura reserves, and so she is being trained to use it as effectively as possible. What she does see is nothing more than a solid mass in the shape of the person, animal or grimm she is viewing. Similar with dust. She can see dust, however inactivated dust is more difficult for her to see. Her field of view is a full 360 degrees, however what is directly in front of her is slightly less taxing. As to the black cloth, it is a tradition on Patch that somebody with a disability wears black cloth around the affected area, so a mute person would have a black cloth around their neck. This is done so people know what they may need to accommodate for at a glance, instead of having to ask. Now there is one major problem with the way Ruby perceives her environment, but that will happen next chapter. So next chapter kicks off right on volume one! I hope you all enjoy, and have a great day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back with a new chapter! So, I wanted to try to include the Torchwick fight, but I just couldn't figure out how to do it. Ruby being blind means she wouldn't realistically have music playing, nor would much of the fight make a lot of sense. Otherwise I would have included it, but I can pick up right before Beacon truly starts, and so it shall be! Anyways, onto the chapter.**

"Miss Rose, while I do understand, may I ask you to remove the black cloth please?" Ozpin asked the young woman in front of him. He knew full well about her history, to him, this was a mere formality.

"Um, sure." Ruby complied, bringing her hands behind her head. Undoing the knot, the cloth fell limp into her hand.

"You have, silver eyes." Ozpin stated, more curious than anything else.

"Y-yeah, so I've been told." Ruby joked.

"So Ruby, we have security footage of you fighting Roman Torchwick. Could you tell me where you learned to fight the way you did?" Ozpin asked, offering a small plate of cookies.

"Signal, sir. Well, one teacher in particular. He taught me everything I know." Ruby explained.

"I would assumer that would be Qrow Branwen?" Ozpin asked, gauging her expression.

"Yeah, that's my uncle! It was hard to learn how to use the rifle though, but with him helping me, I knew it wouldn't be long." Ruby explained with a sense of pride.

"Tell me, what are you doing at Signal academy miss Rose?" Ozpin asked, chuckling at her excitement.

"Well, I want to learn how to be a huntress. Ever since I was young, I heard stories of hunters saving people, making a difference. I wanted to be like them.

"I can see. Tell me, do you know who I am?" Ozpin asked.

"You're professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon." Ruby stated.

"Yes, tell me, I know you still have two more years at Signal, but how would you like to come to Beacon instead? We could better progress your abilities, as well as catch you up on any schooling you may have missed." Ozpin offered. Ruby couldn't believe what she had just heard. She had been personally invited by Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, to attend two years early.

"Y-yes! I would love to!" Ruby could barely contain herself.

"We shall send the required information to your home then. Classes start soon, I do hope you enjoy your time at Beacon." Ozpin offered, standing.

"I will sir. Thank you so much, I won't let you down!" Ruby stood, retying her cloth.

"Glynda, if you would please escort miss Rose outside please, I have some business to attend to." Ozpin asked, picking up the now empty plate.

"Of course, sir. Right this way please."

 _*The following week*_

"Oh Ruby, I'm so proud of you!"

"Yang, please stop." Ruby could barely choke out.

"But sis, we're going to Beacon together! How can you not be excited?" Yang asked.

"I am, but I don't want to be the center of attention. So, what, I stopped a robbery, big whoop, literally anybody could have done that." Ruby reasoned.

"Aw come on Rubes, everybody will love you! Think of all the new people you can meet!" Yang shot back with added enthusiasm.

"Yang, you know how I feel about people feeling sorry for me. I wouldn't be wearing this cloth over my eyes if it wasn't for the fact that it gets me the right service so quickly." Ruby pouted.

"I don't know Ruby, it looks pretty cool to me. Makes you look like you're so good that you don't even have to look." Yang assured.

"Whatever. So, what do you think will happen with teams?" Before Yang could even respond, a blond teen tried to run by, but ultimately failed. Instead, throwing up all over the floor next to the sisters. "Oh, gods the smell!"

After the airship had landed Ruby was the first one off, the aid of her semblance keeping her ahead of the boy who just vomited. Taking deep breaths of clean air, Ruby waited for Yang as she scanned the aura of those passing by.

"You ok Ruby?" Yang asked as she finally managed to get to Ruby and pull her away from the crowd.

"Yeah, I'm fine now that I can breathe." Ruby replied.

"Good. Now that we can talk without you gagging, I want you to listen." Yang asked.

"Yang, all I ever can do is listen." Ruby joked, a large grin on her face.

"I'm so proud of you for that. But seriously, I understand I'm your sister and all, but I don't want you to be hanging around me all the time. It's not that I don't want you near me, but I want you to make some friends of your own, alright?" Yang explained, hoping her sister would understand.

"You sound like dad now." Ruby stated flatly.

"That wasn't a no, I'll take it. Now if you'll excuse me, my friends are here, I'll see you at the orientation, alright? Bye!" Yang quickly sped off with her friends, not aware that Ruby attempted to grab her. Now spun around and disoriented, Ruby could only hope that nobody was near her. As if to show how cruel it truly was, the universe provided her something to trip over.

"What are you doing!?" Suddenly filled Ruby's ears.

"I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" Ruby tried to refocus her aura if only to know where to face.

"What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be here? And why do you have that on your face? You probably would be able to see where you were going if you didn't have that dumb cloth over your eyes!" Weiss continued to shout. As Weiss continued to tear into the younger girl, Ruby felt something brush against her hand. Assuming it belonged to the girl yelling at her, she held her hand up in the general direction of the yelling.

"Is this yours?" Ruby asked quietly, presenting what she felt to be a glass bottle.

"Give me that! Do you have any idea what this is? Dust, energy!" Weiss proceeded to launch into another tirade, shaking the vial to accentuate her points. What Weiss failed to notice though was the small cloud of dust leaking from the bottle. Feeling a tickle in her nose, Ruby was glad that she was unable to refocus her aura, as she let loose an uncontrollable sneeze.

"UNBELIEVABLE! To think you are actually braindead enough to sneeze into a cloud of dust!" Weiss shrieked as the explosion settled.

"It was your fault for spilling the dust everywhere, princess!" Ruby shouted back, no longer focusing on her aura, instead focusing entirely on the rude girl in front of her.

"It's heiress, actually. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company" A calm voice cut through the arguing pair, drawing their attention.

"Finally, some recognition." Weiss was about to thank the new addition but was immediately cut off.

"The same company known for its shady business practices and questionable business partners. Not to mention the heiress herself treating a blind person in such a way for an honest mistake. I can't imagine what would happen if the media caught wind of this." At this, Weiss paled before stomping off in frustration.

"Thank you for the help. My names Ruby, by the way." Ruby offered her hand to the voice, turning slightly when she felt her angle was off.

"Blake, and it was my pleasure. But if you don't mind telling me, why are you here? You seem a little young, not to mention I can tell you're blind." Blake asked, allowing Ruby a much gentler pace.

"Well, that's because I am. Ozpin invited me here two years early. And my eyes don't work, but I can still see aura. Now if you'll excuse me for just a moment, I have to try and refocus it." Ruby excused herself as she sat down. Using the same technique that was drilled into her years ago, Ruby breathed deeply as she felt her aura contract before expanding. Feeling adequate with what she could sense for now, Ruby stood, turning to face Blake properly this time.

"Are you, good to go now?" Blake asked, unsure of how to approach the subject.

"God enough for now. I'm going to have to do that more before bed though if I'm going to be ready for initiation. So, where are we going to?" Ruby asked.

"I believe we're supposed to meet in the main auditorium. Follow me?" Blake suggested, hoping she wouldn't offend the younger girl.

"Mind if I come with?" The blond boy from earlier asked, having finally settled his stomach.

"Sure thing, vomit boy, I don't mind." Ruby shot. If Ruby could see his face she would witness one filled with annoyance.

"Whatever you say, crater face."

 **AN/ And that's a rap! I'll pick up from the night, then launch into initiation from there. I hope you enjoyed Ruby's first interactions with new people, I was trying to think of ways to make them somewhat believable but considering I couldn't feel half of my face for most of the day, something could have slipped by that's a little out of character that wasn't intentional. Oh well, anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back everyone! Sorry I wasn't able to write this chapter last week, but shit got busy, oh well. So, I was thinking that maybe I could do a chapter, or part of a chapter from Arslan's POV while she was still in Haven. I don't know, what do you guys think, sound good? Let me know what you think. Anyways, on to the next chapter!**

With her two new friends leading the way, Ruby was able to focus a little more on her aura. Sighing at her lack of progress, she broke the comfortable silence. "So Jaune, where are you from?"

"Oh, uh, I'm from southwestern Vale, my family owns a lot of farmland. Where are you from Blake?" Jaune turned to the raven-haired girl.

"I grew up outside of the kingdoms, mostly looking after myself." Blake explained. Ruby could only laugh a little at that.

"Well, at least you could make it out there, for some reason I doubt I could have made it." Ruby joked, much to the surprise of the others.

"Not that I'm judging, but how can you make jokes like that so easily?" Jaune asked, dumbfounded at the girl beside him.

"Jaune, I went my whole life not understanding color, never seeing my families faces and relying on everyone to make sure that I don't wander into traffic, it's nothing new to me. Plus, I'm pretty sure I got the dark humor in my family. If you met my sister or dad, you would understand." Ruby explained, cringing slightly at the thought of her family's idea of comedy.

"Well, at least you don't try to victimize yourself. You said your sister was attending this year?" Blake asked as they stepped into the amphitheater.

"Yeah, if you could help me find her, that would be great, there are too many people here." Ruby grimaced as the noise assaulted her ears.

"Sure, what does she look like?" Jaune responded, looking for anyone that might look like Ruby.

"Tall with long blonde hair, you can't miss her, or so I'm told." Ruby explained, trying to sense her aura.

"Alright, not at all what I was expecting, but that shouldn't be an issue." Blake spoke as she looked around the sea of new students. While she saw a large mass of brown, black and even red, Yellow was a hard one to find.

"Ruby! Over here!" A loud voice managed to cut through the sound of the crowd, as Blake and Jaune turned to see a blonde matching Ruby's description.

"This way Ruby, I think we found you sister." Jaune pulled Ruby slightly towards her sister. As the trio pushed their way through the crowd, Ruby could see Yang waving them over.

"So Ruby, where have you been?" Yang asked, before looking over her two new friends.

"You mean after you ditched me, and I exploded?" Ruby spat, with no serious venom in her voice.

"Yikes, meltdown already?"

"No, I literally exploded! There was some mean girl and I tripped over her luggage and there was dust everywhere and- "

"YOU!"

"Oh god it's happening again!" Ruby clutched onto Yang.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the cliff!" Weiss shot.

"Oh my god you actually exploded." Yang commented quietly.

"Here, read this to her." Weiss spat as she shoved a pamphlet into Yang's hands.

"What's this?" Ruby asked, confused as to what was happening.

"Do you really want to make this up to me?" Weiss growled.

"Y-yes!" Ruby stuttered.

"Then have someone read this to you and never talk to me again, got it?" Before Ruby cold even respond, the entire room was silenced as Ozpin walked on stage.

"Welcome to Beacon, everyone. I hope you have all had a pleasant trip here. You have all journeyed here because you wish to join the ranks of hunters, to gain knowledge, to maybe be immortalized as a hero. But what I see is wasted potential, in search of purpose. You assume Beacon will free you of this. Beacon will test everything you have, and only if you pass Beacon, will you achieve what you want." Ozpin finished, Glynda stepped forward.

"Your initiation will begin tomorrow morning. All first years are to gather in the ballroom for tonight. You are dismissed."

"Is it just me, or did he seem off?" Jaune asked. Everyone ignored him though as Yang spoke up.

"So Ruby, who're your friends?"

 _*Later that night*_

"I'm sorry Ruby, but I never would have taken you for a reader." Blake apologized as Ruby sat next to her, listening intently.

"Usually it's Yang reading to me. Books in braille are terrible to try and find on Patch. I always liked coming to Vale, one book store in particular, Tukson's book trade." Ruby explained as she listened to one of her favorites. It was about a man with two souls, fighting for control of his body.

"He was always one of my favorites, did you bring any books of yours?" Blake asked, the sound of the page turning filling the now sleeping room.

"Only a couple, most of them are too important too me. Hey Blake, I have a question, if you don't mind." Ruby asked.

"What's up, Ruby?" Blake marked her page before turning her attention to the younger girl.

"What kind of faunus are you?" Ruby would be thankful that Yang was asleep, as suddenly a hand shot at her, covering her mouth.

"Ruby, you can NOT, say anything, do you understand?" Blake spoke through grit teeth, tightening her hold over the silenced mouth. Feeling Ruby nod, she released her hold. "Ruby, I hide my ears, I don't want anyone to know that I'm a faunus."

"I'm sorry for asking Blake, I really am. I just noticed it earlier, but I didn't want to aske right away because I thought it would be rude." Ruby apologized.

"No, Ruby, you don't need to apologize. It's just, my whole life, I've seen faunus being judged for what they are, I wanted to hide my ears, so I could be judged for who I am." Blake explained.

"Alright. I won't judge you, and I know Yang wouldn't. I hope we can all be on a team together. You're already helping me so much, I hope I don't have to find someone else to rely on." Ruby admitted to the faunus.

"Just so you know Ruby, I'm a cat faunus."

 _*The following morning*_

"Ruby, is that really your weapon?" Blake asked, as Ruby retracted the blades into its compact form.

"What, were you expecting a walking stick or something?" Ruby shot, laughing at her own joke.

"Would I have been surprised? No. Was that my first guess? Also no." Blake spoke as the solid clang of lockers being shut rung out through the room.

"Yeah, she went a little overboard in making that thing. But it also doesn't hurt that our uncle taught her how to fight. Don't ask me how she makes most of her shots, for all intents and purposes, she shouldn't even be able to hit the broad side of a barn, inside the barn." Yang joked, earning a smack from Ruby.

"You're just mad that I'm a better shot than you." Ruby huffed as a now familiar aura moved past her. Turning to focus better, Ruby saw who she could only assume was Weiss talking to someone. Listening in, Ruby learned a nice bit of information.

"So Pyrrha, who were you planning on partnering up with? I was thinking we could pair up, you're the best fighter, and I'm the smartest, it would only make sense." Weiss offered.

"I don't know, I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may. Now if you'll excuse me please Weiss, I see someone I would like to talk someone before initiation." Pyrrha excused herself. Ruby, noticing the new form walking to her, she began to run through many scenarios in her head. Suddenly she was pulled from her thoughts.

"Excuse me, miss?" Pyrrha asked, tapping Ruby on the shoulder.

"Oh, hello!" Ruby replied cheerily, "Can I help you?"

"Actually, I noticed you while I was gathering my weapons, what's your name, if you don't mind?" Pyrrha asked politely.

"Oh, my name is Ruby, nice to meet you, what's yours?"

"Pyrrha. Would I be correct in assuming that you're from Patch?" Pyrrha asked tentatively.

"Yes, I am, I assume this black cloth gave it away?" Ruby asked, a slight giggle following.

"Just a little, yes. I just wanted to come and congratulate you on making it to Beacon. I know it couldn't have been easy." Pyrrha spoke with an understanding tone.

"You have no idea. Eleven tape recorders lost in one year at Signal. Thankfully I had Yang's notes, even if she had to read them back for me." Ruby blushed slightly at he admittance, thankful that she came prepared this time.

"Well, I wish you luck in your studies, now if you'll excuse me, Weiss seems to be having troubles." Pyrrha excused herself as the three girls stood there dumbfounded.

"Did either of you know that Pyrrha Nikos was going to Beacon?" Blake asked.

"Not in the slightest."

"Oooohhhh! Ren look! She looks so cool and mysterious!" A sudden voice rang out, dripping pure hyper activeness.

"Nora, you're probably hurting her ears right now, come on, before we're late." Ruby stood there as two more figures walked by, thankful for the quitter of the pair as he pulled the boisterous girl out of the room.

"I would hate to be that guy."

 **AN/ And that's a wrap! Next time we'll have initiation. I want to take this time to specifically thank Grano Onis for his review last chapter. I took up writing fanfiction to kill two birds with one stone, to have a creative outlet, as well as work on my story telling and writing. Those of you that have been with me for a while now probably know that I fell out of creative writing a while ago, dropping it in favor of professional essay writing for school, mostly out of necessity, and getting reviews that tell me that I have something to work on, I love those, they are more helpful than you may realize. I don't consider myself truly great, to me, I'm just some random college guy on the internet writing about fictional characters, but I want to be better for you guys, expect another chapter of Shrouded Truth later today, as I have a lot of free time between classes today. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter didn't come sooner, despite being on spring break, it hasn't been much of a break for me, but hey, at least you're getting your chapter now! So on to initiation, and I promise I won't skimp on the fighting, especially after you all seemed slightly disappointed that I left out the Roman fight, anyways, onwards!**

"Are all first year's present?" Ozpin asked, keeping his usual calm demeanor. After Glynda took count and assured that everyone was present, he continued. "Today, you begin your first step on your journey to become hunters. Your goal for today is to make your way to the temple deep within the Emerald Forest. Now I've been hearing rumors about partners, so allow me to lay those rumors to rest. You will be getting your partners, today." At this, Ruby's world shattered. "They will be your partner for your time here at Beacon. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with, will be your partner."

"Um, excuse me?" Ruby raised her hand, hesitantly.

"Ah, right. My apologies miss Rose. This year we have a special exception to that rule. In the case of young Ruby over here, the first person to get line of sight of her will be her partner. We will be watching you, so if you break the rules, we will know. And be careful, the forest is teeming with grimm, whatever mess you make, it will be up to you and those around you to fix. Now, any more questions?" Ozpin asked loudly.

"Excuse me sir, will you be, dropping us off?" Jaune asked, nervously.

"No, you will be falling." Ozpin stated flatly.

"I see. So, did you pass out parachutes or something?"

"No, you will be using your own, landing strategy." Ozpin spoke as three more students were launched into the forest below.

"Was this something we went over as a group? Because I don't remember any talking about a landing strategyYYYYYY!" Jaune screamed as he was suddenly soaring over the forest.

"We may have to have that pad looked at, normally it isn't so delayed." Ozpin finished as he took a sip of his coffee.

 _*Ruby*_

'Finally, I can prove myself!' Was all Ruby could think of as she soared through the sky, aiming for the forest floor. Searching for any animals nearby, Ruby was prepping for her landing. Noticing some smaller squirrels, she guessed she was aimed at a tree. Pulling her scythe out, Ruby readied herself for what was to come. Finding herself pleasantly surprised, she missed the branches of the tree as she hooked a stronger one, spinning around it and landing on her feet below.

"Oh, now that was fun!" Ruby shouted to no one in particular. However, her excitement was short lived as she realized one particular problem. "Crap, which way am I supposed to go?" One problem they discovered early on was her lack of awareness when it came to cardinal directions. Thankfully, they had prepared for this long ago.

"Ozpin said the temple was to the north." Ruby spoke to herself as she pulled a specially designed compass from one of her pockets. Opening the top cover, Ruby waited for the compass to decide which direction was north before running her fingers over the face. Turning her body to face north, Ruby smiled to herself. "Dad was right, always, be prepared."

With her direction now set, Ruby sat down, and began to focus her aura. While she wouldn't be able to see everyone in the forest, she knew she could at least find Yang. Feeling ready, Ruby began to push her aura out, looking for the most familiar signature. Seeing most of the other students had already partnered up left Ruby disheartened, however she noticed Yang was much further out than she realized.

"Great, I guess I'm just going north now." Ruby grumbled to herself. Beginning her trek in silence, Ruby was watchful for anything that might wander close, be it a person, or grimm.

 _*_ _Yang*_

Screaming as she swung at the closest Ursa, Yang was able to knock it down hard. Not allowing it the chance to recover, she let loose a blast from Ember Celica with each swing. "No one! Touches! My hair!" Yang shouted as she lay into the ursa. She was certain that if grimm could feel anything, the other ursa would be frozen with fear as she swung away on the offending grimm. Dealing one final blow, the ursa disappeared into the mist all grimm do. Turning as the other ursa roared for its fallen brother, Yang challenged back.

"What! You want some too?!" Before she could begin her assault, the ursa suddenly jerked up, before falling over, revealing Blake, with Gambol Shroud lodged in the ursa.

"Let me guess, you could take him?" Blake asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"You know it." Yang replied, shooting finger guns.

"I will literally ditch you for your sister if you do that again." Blake groaned at her new partner.

"And here I thought ice queen was the coldest of the mall."

 _*Weiss*_

Weiss was on edge. Currently in the middle of a rather large clearing with her sword drawn, Weiss had had enough. Something was following her, and whenever she called out, there was never any reply.

"Whatever you are, come out now!" Weiss shouted into the trees, as more rustling followed. Eventually, a voice cut through the trees, and Weiss couldn't believe her luck.

"Who's there?" Ruby asked out loud as she emerged from the foliage.

"Oh great, it's you." Weiss groaned as she facepalmed.

"Oh, hi Weiss. I didn't recognize your aura." Ruby spoke plainly.

"The fact that you haven't gotten yourself lost is amazing. The fact that you found me, and I can only assume you haven't found a partner yet, is exponentially less so." Weiss spoke harshly.

"I may be blind Weiss, but I'm not useless. I found my way north after all." Ruby shot back. Before Weiss could respond to that, multiple growls filled the air. "Beowolves, I'm counting twenty."

"You want to be partners? Show me that you can back up your words." Was all Weiss said as she took her stance. Launching herself forward, she lunged at the first beowolf, killing it instantly. As three more took its place, Weiss summoned a multitude of glyphs, bouncing from each one, landing a strike each time she moved. Looking over towards Ruby, she was pleasantly surprised to see the younger girl able to hold her own against an equal number of grimm. As Weiss danced around the grimm, Ruby seemed to flow to her own rhythm as the grimm that surrounded her fell to her swinging blade.

"Ruby, duck!" Was all Weiss said as she let loose a torrent of fire, burning a beowolf that had tried to sneak up on the red clad girl.

"Thanks Weiss!" Was all Ruby said in reply as she fired her own shot over Weiss's shoulder, nailing a beowolf in the head, killing it instantly. Weiss couldn't believe that Ruby had been able to pull off that shot, she had felt that bullet fly past her head, yet Ruby's aim was true.

"A little warning next time you do that please?!" Weiss shrieked, reeling from the experience.

"Sorry Weiss, but it was easier to just shoot it." Was all Ruby could reply with as she finished the last beowolf.

"Be that as it may, I have to say, I'm impressed. You held your own, I can make this work. Now, which way was north?" Weiss asked, as she re-sheathed her sword.

"Um, hold on. I see someone's aura, and it's familiar." Ruby paused, trying to focus on the aura. "Make that two, it's Yang and Blake!"

"Alright, so let's meet up with them, which way?" Weiss asked

"This way!" Was the only warning Weiss received before she was suddenly pulled off her feet and dragged through the forest.

"Ruby! What are you doing?!" Weiss screamed as the trees blurred past them.

"I thought I would save us some time and use my semblance." Ruby stated plainly.

"You're blind, and your semblance is speed?!" Weiss asked incredulously.

"Call it a sick joke played on me by some higher being." Ruby joked.

"Can you put me down please?! I would much rather walk on my own two feet!" Weiss yelled as Ruby narrowly avoided trees and branches.

"Fine, we're almost to them anyways." Ruby half sighed as she stopped, allowing Weiss to walk on her own.

"For someone who is supposed to be fast, you excel at wasting time." Weiss stated flatly.

"I got us here faster, I fail to see how that wasted time, but alright. Now if you'll excuse me, YANG!" Ruby called out, not caring about any attention she may have attracted.

"I understand that you're trying to find your sister, but there are still grimm here you know." Weiss stated flatly, becoming annoyed with Ruby's behavior.

"Weiss, there are no grimm near us, the only things near us are Yang and Blake, not counting us of course." Ruby explained, unphased by Weiss's comment.

"Ruby! There you are!" Yang shouted as she exploded through the underbrush, followed shortly by Blake.

"Sorry that we couldn't partner up Ruby, but for what it's worth, I'll keep your sister out of trouble, it sounds like she needs it." Blake joked.

"It's no problem Blake, but Weiss could be a little less cold if I'm being entirely honest."

"Hey!" Weiss shouted defensively.

"I don't see the problem here, do you Ruby?" Yang asked, barely containing her laughter.

"I mean, I don't see much of anything really, except your point. Maybe." As Ruby replied, Yang couldn't help but burst out laughing as Weiss looked mortified.

"I don't understand how you could even make jokes like that, let alone to your own sister!" Weiss shouted.

"Weiss, calm down and look at it like this." Ruby continued, adding to Weiss's reaction.

"Weiss, all I see are two sister's having fun, isn't that what you see?" Blake added her own as Ruby descended into her own laughing fit.

"You are all terrible people, do you know that?" Weiss asked as she wondered how she was going to deal with her new partner.

"I usually just turn a blind eye to stuff like that." Ruby said, immediately silencing everyone as all eyes turned to her.

"Ruby." Weiss was the first to break the silence, speaking in a low tone.

"Yes Weiss?" Ruby asked innocently. Before Weiss could continue, Yang and Blake both burst out laughing as the blonde fell to her knees clutching her stomach.

"By the gods Ruby that was the best one yet!" Yang shouted before descending into laughter.

"You are all impossible!" Weiss turned and began to stomp off.

"We should probably catch her and grab the relics." Ruby spoke, breaking the two from their laughter.

"You're right, gods know that we wasted a good chunk of time." Yang spoke, trying to catch her breath.

"Come on, before she disappears." Blake said as she pulled Yang off the floor.

"Weiss, come on! We were just having fun!" Ruby shouted following after Weiss.

"Don't care! I'm just trying to save my sanity!" Weiss shouted back.

"Weiss, you get to deal with this for the next four years, better get used to it." Yang called from the back as she helped guide Ruby along through the forest.

"It's true, might want to get used to a very dark sense of humor." Ruby added.

"Does anyone even know what these relics will look like? Or the temple for that matter?" Blake asked, suddenly changing the conversation.

"I have no idea, but all I know is that it has to be obvious enough and-" Before Weiss could finish, a girlish scream filled the air.

"Some girl is in trouble!" Ruby exclaimed.

"And it's not our problem right now. Do you even know where they are?" Weiss asked as she stepped into a clearing, revealing the temple they were searching for.

"Well, that was easy." Yang stated.

"Then let's grab our relics and head back. Wait, are those chess pieces?" Weiss asked, walking up and taking a closer look at the pedestals.

"I guess they are. Hey Weiss, catch." Yang said as she tossed the white knight piece to the heiress before taking the other for herself. Before anyone could step away, the sound of crashing limbs exploded from the tree line, revealing an angry ursa. However, before it could be a threat, it suddenly fell and dissolved, revealing a ginger haired girl.

"That was FUN!"

 **AN/ And that's a wrap for this chapter! I hope it was good, as I've been trying to work on this all of last week. But now for a little announcement, as of today, it is my birthday! Yay and all that nonsense I guess. Anyways, aside from that, next chapter will of course have all of the fights you will be hoping to see, I promise! Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN/ What fresh hell is this?! Back to back chapter uploads for the same story? I guess so, because I just didn't feel inspired for Shrouded Truth these last couple of days if I'm being entirely honest. No, I won't give up on it, I'll probably get to it next week, but for now, that one stays on the back burner. Also, taxes are not fun. But tax RETURNS are, because my bank account finally doesn't look like shit for once, so now I can really start thinking of moving out! Then I can drop thousands of dollars into airsoft, fucking $500 rifles and shit. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

"OOooohhh. Ren, look! It's that awesome looking girl from earlier!" Nora shouted as she broke into a sprint, eyes focused solely on Ruby. "Hi! My name's Nora, what's yours? What's with the cloth on your face? Doesn't it make it hard to see? Or are you just so good you don't have to?" Nora rattle off, never pausing in her verbal barrage.

"NORA!" Ren shouted as he slowly walked to the group, trying to catch his breath. "My apologies for my friend here, she gets excited rather easily."

"It's fine, could have done without the shouting though." Ruby admitted, "The names Ruby, by the way."

"You already met Nora, my name is Lie Ren." Ren offered a hand, which Ruby took.

"The names Yang, this here is Blake, and that's Weiss." Yang introduced.

"A pleasure to meet you all. Nora, apologize to Ruby, quietly." Ren ordered the ginger, who deflated with the order.

"Sorry for being loud Ruby." Nora immediately sprang back to life after her apology, grabbing a white rook piece before proclaimer herself as queen of the castle.

Before anyone could think of what to do next, a loud scream filled the air, followed by a solid thud.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked cautiously, looking at the familiar aura.

"Yep, that's me." Jaune said shakily before falling out of the tree.

"Shouldn't you have a partner by now Jaune?" Blake asked, wondering why Jaune was still alone.

"I do, but I kinda got thrown away from her. She was, that way." Jaune pointed after getting his bearings straight. Ruby focused her aura, pushing it in the direction Jaune pointed, looking for a single aura. What she found instead though terrified her.

"I found Pyrrha, and she's being chased by a deathstalker!" Ruby drew her weapon, ready to rush off and help.

"How did you get partnered with Pyrrha if you couldn't even stay by her in a fight?" Weiss asked as she grabbed Ruby by the hood.

"Weiss, we have to help her, it's huge!" Ruby struggled against the firm hold of Weiss hand.

"And we will, but you can't just run off like that, then you aren't helping. Jaune, grab one of the pieces, then we'll go and help Pyrrha." Weiss ordered as she let go of Ruby.

"How are we going to take on a deathstalker? Even the smaller ones have thick enough armor to cause problems, if what Ruby said is true, what are we going to possibly do to it?" Nora asked.

"We don't have to kill it, just out run it. It'll be easy." Ruby said.

"For you maybe, but what about the rest of us? We need a plan." Weiss shot. Suddenly a loud screech rang through the air as a large black creature flew overhead.

"Looks like we have to run now!" Ruby shouted as she took off in the direction Pyrrha was.

"For the love of, come on, we got what we had to, let's save Pyrrha and get out of here!" Weiss shouted, only to find that everyone had already begun to follow Ruby.

As the nevermore followed the group, Ruby led the way as Yang pulled her away from trees and branches. Feathers rained down around them in sporadic bursts as the trees did little to hide them. Ruby was thankful that Pyrrha wasn't too far out, as the nevermore was proving far more annoying than it should have been. Thinking quickly, she pulled Crescent Rose and opened its compact rifle form. Jumping to maintain her momentum, Ruby twisted her body just enough to point the barrel at the nevermore and fired, scoring a direct hit. Turning her body quickly forward, Ruby kept up the random shots, throwing the nevermore off.

"See Ren, I told you she was so good she didn't have to see!" Nora shouted behind her. Ruby could only smirk. Finally, the sound of swinging branches and leaves were replaced by open wind and the chittering of the deathstalker.

"That, is a BIG, deathstalker." Yang paled at the size of the dark creature. The group skidded to a stop, watching as Pyrrha dodged the attacks of the giant scorpion creature while the nevermore flew ahead, landing on the ruins.

"Yang, where are we?" Ruby asked, extending her scythe to its full form.

"Looks like some kind of ruins, most of it is built into a deep gorge." Yang explained.

"Alright, Nora, distract the deathstalker, Ren, cover me!" Jaune ordered as he drew Crocea Mors.

"On it!" Nora responded by pulling her hammer from her back, already in it's grenade launcher form and began firing. Both Pyrrha and the deathstalker stopped at the sound of firing, the former breathing a sigh of relief as she backpedaled away from the grimm as multiple explosions rocked the creature.

As the grimm turned its attention to Nora, Ren was suddenly atop the deathstalker, shooting into the joints between its armor. As the creature roared in pain, Jaune grabbed Pyrrha and put himself between her and the deathstalker.

"Sorry about that Pyrrha, if it makes it any better, I got the relic." Jaune apologized as he kept his shield up.

"It's quite alright Jaune, but now that you're here, we can take this grimm down." Pyrrha said as she tried to catch her breath.

"Well until this thing is out of the way, we're not going anywhere!" Yang shouted as the nevermore dived on the four girls only barely missing Ruby.

"You worry about the deathstalker! We'll take down this nevermore!" Ruby shouted as she fired more shots at the large avian grimm. As Yang, Blake and Weiss followed suit, the sky became alight with the elements. The nevermore cawed as it swooped low in another dive, aiming for Blake and Ruby. Diving away from the nevermore, Ruby's breath hitched as her foot slipped, leaving her to plummet below. Trying to catch the blade of her scythe on the stone, Ruby began to panic as it bounced off the hard stone.

"I got you Ruby!" Blake shouted as she swung below, catching Ruby.

"Thanks Blake, it's narrower than I thought!" Ruby shouted over the rushing air. As the duo came up, Blake set Ruby on her feet. With another loud caw, he nevermore dived again, instead aiming for the bridges the girls were using.

"Everyone, higher ground!" Was all Yang said as she ran for the larger central structure. Ruby followed close behind as they each found their own way up. Ruby was thankful that she didn't have working eye sight, as the wind coming from below was enough to blow her around.

"It's too strong, we aren't doing anything to it!" Weiss shouted as it dived with Yang in its mouth, unloading shot gun blast after shotgun blast. As the nevermore flew up, Yang dropped back down to the platform.

"Anyone got any ideas? Cause I'm open to suggestions!" Yang asked as she reloaded Ember Celica.

"Where is it right now?" Ruby asked, noting the nevermore was currently stationary.

"Against the cliff wall, why?" Blake asked.

"Weiss, freeze it in place, Yang, Blake, make a slingshot!" Was all Ruby ordered as she began to pelt the nevermore with dust infused bullets. Acting Quickly, Weiss summoned a glyph, loosing a torrent of ice, freezing the nevermore's tail to the ruins. With the slingshot now ready, Ruby jumped back, using her scythe to rest on the ribbon of Gambol Shroud. With Weiss using her glyphs, she held Ruby in place as more appeared behind the nevermore.

"I really don't trust this plan of yours." Was all Weiss said.

"Just make the shot, I'm counting on you to make sure I don't die." Ruby said casually as Weiss could only bring herself to sigh loudly.

"And now you can fly." Was the only warning Ruby got as Weiss sent her soaring. Using Crescent Rose to assist her speed, Ruby braced herself as she neared the nevermore. Suddenly she felt resistance as her blade found the neck of the grimm. Bracing herself as she stopped on the wall, Ruby summoned what strength she had and with the help of her semblance, she pulled the nevermore free of the ice and pulled it up. Ruby could only imagine what this looked like, here she was, a blind fifteen-year-old, running up the side of a cliff with a massive grimm in tow.

Her thoughts were cut short however as the grimm suddenly stopped. With renewed vigor, Ruby pulled as hard as she could, adding a shot for extra power. With one last pull, Ruby found herself free, with the sound of a crashing nevermore blissfully filling her ears. Before she could begin to worry about falling, Ruby felt something below her.

"Stand still you dolt before I have to save you." Was all she needed to hear.

 _*Later that night*_

"And finally, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. You four collected the white knight pieces and will be together as team RWBY. And you will be led by, Ruby Rose." Ozpin spoke calmly as Ruby did a double take, looking at Ozpin. Unable to focus on anything else that was said, Ruby just followed Yang in shock. Here she was, two years early and now the leader of her team. As she went on with the rest of her night on autopilot, Ruby was secretly thankful that nobody had tried to get her attention.

"Oh man, that was great! Did you guys see how Ruby took down that nevermore?" Yang shouted as she changed into her orange tank top.

"It was impressive I must admit. Though I wish she wasn't so reckless." Weiss commented.

"I think it was rather smart, there was no way any of us could have killed it conventionally." Blake admitted.

"Ruby, what do you think? Ruby?" Yang asked, turning to see her sister having already been dressed for bed and out cold.

"I figured she would be up and talking our ears off." Weiss spoke, surprised to see the younger girl had already gone to bed.

"Usually she would be, must have pushed herself a little too hard I guess." Yang admitted.

"Be that as it may, we might want to do the same, classes do start tomorrow." Blake suggested as she stowed her book away. As the other three members of team RWBY clambered into their respective beds, none were aware that Ruby was very much still awake, and wrestling with her own thoughts.

'How am I supposed to be the leader? I can't even see the space I'm in let alone lead a team. Maybe I can talk to Ozpin and he can make someone else the leader. Maybe Weiss would make a good leader.' Ruby thought. Sleep would not come easy to her tonight, leaving her ample time to fill herself with more self-doubt. Ruby was glad that she always wore that black cloth, nobody would see that she had begun to cry.

 **AN/ And that's a wrap! So, I should probably explain what is going on right now with Shrouded Truth. I'm not changing anything about it or giving up on it, however I've written myself into a hole so to speak. I got to a point I wanted, which was the whole reveal of Ozpins inner circle, but I never thought passed that, and now I have to try and come up with a way to continue it from there and work a team dynamic into this all as well. Basically, it boils down to I failed to plan ahead and now I'm paying for it. Like I said, it won't go anywhere, and I will get back to it, but for now I have to put it on the backburner. I don't like leaving stories hanging, but once I can figure out how to push it forward, you guys will get a new chapter, Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN/ Here's another one for you guys! Got Shrouded Truth updated, so there's that. I got nothing right now, on to the chapter I guess.**

Weiss had always been an early riser. It was a fact of her life that she had to spend her days as efficiently as possible, however the sensation of someone shaking her awake, no matter how gentle, was enough to open her eyes with a tired glare.

"And what, pray tell, is your reason for waking me up so early?" Weiss growled, her sight filled with blonde hair.

"We wanted to get the room decorated before class. Didn't want to leave you out, considering you live here too." Yang spoke with more energy than should be normal for seven in the morning.

"I appreciate the consideration, but did we really have to wake up early for this?" Weiss asked as she stood and stretched.

"Weiss, any amount of sleep is a luxury to me. And from what I can gather, the resident sisters are used to this." Blake said from the closet, with Ruby backing up her teammates statement.

"Blake, can you hand me that hanger right there? My clothes are up now. And she's right, Yang had to be the first one up most mornings, I just followed suit, especially when I started learning how to use my weapon." Ruby spoke as she sectioned off her clothing from the rest of the closet. With Weiss now dressed for the day, she began to pull out her luggage.

"So, who has decorations they want to put up?" Weiss asked as she began opening each of her cases.

"Ruby has nothing to decorate with, and Blake only has small stuff, so we should be able to get everything to fit." Yang said optimistically as she unrolled her posters.

"Hey Blake, is there any space on the bookshelf?" Ruby asked as she held a small stack of books in her hand.

"Here, I can make some room for you, they'll be top left." Blake said as she pulled some of her books out and guided Ruby to her space.

"Thanks Blake, need help with anything Weiss?" Ruby asked as she adjusted the cloth over her eyes.

"No. Blake, what time is it?" Weiss asked as she pulled another suitcase into the closet with her.

"Eight fifteen. Classes start at nine." Blake answered.

"Blake, give me a hand with this?" Yang asked, as she began to move the desks around.

"Where's my cane? Has anyone seen my cane?!" Ruby asked, as she began frantically searching herself.

"Did you pull it out of your bags?" Yang asked as her and Blake set down the desk they were holding.

"Yes, I had it on me since I got dressed." Ruby said as she dropped to her knees to search for her cane.

"Blake, have you seen it?" Yang asked as she abandoned the desks to help.

"No, I haven't seen it. Weiss, you're still in the closet, check in there for us please?" Blake asked as she checked around the room away from Ruby.

"I found it!" Weiss spoke as she held it out the closet door.

"Thank you! I can't afford to lose this." Ruby quickly snatched it from Weiss's hand, allowing the heiress to return to the closet.

"Geez Weiss, do you live in the closet now?" Yang joked as she began hanging her posters.

"Excuse me, but I have to make sure these are put away properly."

"Weiss, we have fifteen minutes until class starts, we'll have to finish later." Blake said as she gathered her books as well as Ruby's.

"Fine, thankfully only our scrolls will open the door." Weiss huffed as she stepped out of the closet. Picking up her books, Weiss followed the rest of her team out the door and closed it behind her. Weiss thanked whatever higher beings there were that they weren't rushing to get to class.

"Who even is our first class today?" Ruby asked.

"I almost forgot that you likely didn't get a schedule in braille. First, we have history with Oobleck, dust with Peach, combat with Goodwitch, common core with Ozpin, and grimm studies with Port." Weiss rattled off.

"I don't know whether I should be scared or impressed that you have that memorized." Was all Yang could say.

"Get used to it Xiao Long, I refuse to take a hit because my team wants to slack off." Weiss shot back with.

"Hey, chill, we got this, isn't that right Rubes?" Yang defended.

"I've got my recorders, twenty-four hours worth of lecture." Ruby said proudly.

"Somehow, you being blind just gave us an academic advantage. Are you willing to share them?" Weiss asked as they reached Oobleck's room.

"Do you even have to ask that?"

"Ah, ladies, so glad you could join us! Class will begin soon, but please, join our discussion!" Professor Oobleck greeted as he sped around the room.

"What are we talking about?" Ruby asked as her and her team picked their seats.

"Why, history! Any events, time periods or figures! Miss Scarlatina here was just telling me about her fascination with the color war, truly a world changing event!" Oobleck rattled off, only stopping to drink his coffee.

"It certainly was a, unique, solution to the grimm problem. Not that it would have worked. I never quite understood king Ozark, he was literally offered the world, yet he never took it." Weiss added.

"Precisely, many believe that to be the very reason why the kingdom of Vale exists as it does today. I'm sorry that we can't talk more, but it is time for class to begin for the day." Oobleck apologized as he began his lecture. Weiss focused almost entirely on the lecture, taking thorough notes. Looking over, she saw Blake taking similar notes, Yang only jotting down what she deemed important, and Ruby who sat back and listened. Weiss had to stop herself from trying to get mad at Ruby.

'She doesn't do everything the same way, of course she wouldn't be writing down notes' Weiss shook her head and refocused on Oobleck.

This was the process for most of the day. Weiss would have to catch herself before she got mad at Ruby for being blind. As soon as the day started though, it was coming to a close.

"So, what is grimm studies supposed to be for? I always thought that grimm were simple minded." Yang commented as they settle into their seats.

"Maybe the ones you've fought before, did you forget they get smarter the older they get?" Blake could only stare at her partner in disbelief.

"I just punch stuff." Yang defended.

"Before you ask, that has always been her strategy." Ruby shot.

"From my own sister! Is nothing sacred?!" Yang gasped, faking offense.

"Quiet, Professor Port is here." Weiss silenced her team.

"Welcome to grimm studies! Here you will learn how to fight the grimm. When you are done here, you will be able to track grimm, understand their patterns, and more easily defeat them. Now then, I have a story for you!" Port launched into a long-winded story, one that became so much more boring the longer it went on. Weiss struggled more the longer he went on, with less and less relevant information.

"I fold. Ruby, I'm borrowing your recorder, Weiss, let me know what's important." Was all they got before Yang fell asleep. Either by pure luck or a lack of care from Port, Yang avoided getting caught. Soon after, Blake pulled a book and began to read, following Yang's example.

'At least Ruby is still awake. She is awake, right?' Weiss asked herself. It was far harder to tell with her. Resigning herself to her fate, Weiss sighed.

"Now then, who believes that they hold the marks of a true hunter?" Port asked, having just finished his story.

"I do sir!" Weiss shot up instantly. Looking to her left at Ruby, it seemed she had been right about her being awake.

"Then come down and face your opponent!" Port gestured to a cage, holding a grimm in its confines.

"Weiss, it's a boarbatusk, try to get its stomach." Ruby offered. Weiss was surprised only momentarily. She remembered that Ruby could see aura, as well as grimm. At least she was aware of the shape of grimm.

"Miss Schnee, are you ready?" Receiving a nod, Port continued "Then begin!"

Weiss was glad that Ruby was correct, as a boarbatusk ran out. Letting it focus on her, Weiss prepared a small set of glyphs. With a squeal, the grimm spun at her. Using a glyph to throw the boarbatusk in the air, Weiss jumped back and onto another glyph, using it to propel herself t and around the grimm. Weiss smiled to herself as the remains never even hit the ground.

"And that is how you take down grimm! Bravo miss Schnee, bravo!" Port congratulated. Weiss bowed in respect.

'First day hasn't gone bad at all. Let's hope the rest of the year is like this.'

 **AN/ And done! Now I really gotta start work on some stuff for class, only a few more weeks and the semester will be done! Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN/ And here we go! So as to address a review from last chapter regarding the pairing, I was told that the pairing felt as though it would be forced, and that I should instead do whiterose or ladybug. While I understand that I am writing a rarepair, I certainly will not change it, and you will never see me writing whiterose. While I love ladybug, I wanted to do something unique, and a pairing can work, and any pairing can be forced. I'm not trying to sound like an asshole here, but I haven't even gotten to the main pairing yet, so hold off any judgement until it actually happens please. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

The first two weeks of class breezed by for all of team RWBY. Weiss and Blake had slowly gotten used to helping Ruby while Yang was away.

"Weiss, Blake, I have to take that history test now, let Yang know where I am, ok?" Ruby asked as she pulled her cane from her waist and extended it.

"It's nice of professor Oobleck to handle all of your tests." Blake spoke.

"it certainly is. Can't say I would like to take my tests orally though." Weiss added.

"Eh, it's not a problem really. It's certainly better than reading a sign that says, 'Do not touch' though" Ruby joked.

"Alright, go on before we have to suffer more of your terrible jokes. Yang is bad enough." Blake ushered the red themed girl out the door. With herself and the heiress in the room, Blake sighed.

"I know. She's a great person and all, but sometimes it's a bit much." Weiss said.

"Tell me Weiss, does Ruby seem, off, to you? I know it hasn't even been a full month yet, but something seems off with her. She isn't matching the stories Yang has told us." Blake asked, concerned.

"You're right. She seems more withdrawn than what Yang would suggest. Let's ask Yang when she gets back from her workout, I'm sure she would have noticed something up with her." Weiss suggested. As if to answer their call, Yang suddenly threw open the door, catching it just before it slammed into the wall.

"Yang, one of these days you're going to do that and nail one of us in the face." Blake chastised.

"No, I won't, now has anyone seen Ruby?" Yang asked, looking around the room.

"She just left to take a test. And actually, we need to talk." Weiss said with a serious tone.

"What's up? I can only assume it's about Ruby." Yang spoke.

"We think something is up with Ruby. She seems withdrawn, as if trying to do anything with us is too much to ask." Blake explained.

"So, you guys noticed it too? I was hoping to talk to her about it, thinking it was just a new place and all that, but if you guys are seeing it too, then something is really wrong. We should confront her when she gets back." Yang suggested. With the rest of the team in agreement, all they could do was wait.

 _*With Ruby*_

'Tomorrow is going to be a disaster' Was all Ruby could think as she kept her cane sweeping in front of her. She had since gotten used to the layout of the campus, and no longer needed anyone else to guide her. Ruby was thankful that Fridays were short days, which allowed her to take her tests in relative peace.

"Hey Ruby!" Nora suddenly called out, breaking Ruby's thoughts.

"Oh, hi Nora, hi Ren!" Ruby called back.

"Hello Ruby, on your way to take a test?" Ren asked calmly.

"Yeah, what about you two?" Ruby asked as she was joined in her walk.

"Just walking around!" Nora replied.

"Nora has been ready for the weekend, she wants to go and fight in the forest. I on the other hand hope to find a nice quiet place to relax." Ren elaborated.

"Mind if I join you? I have to do some exercises anyways." Ruby asked.

"It's not a problem. Just let me know when you're ready to join us." Ren excused himself and Nora as they reached Oobleck's room.

"Remember, we're going to the forest of forever fall in two weeks!" Nora shouted before following Ren.

"Ah, miss Rose, are you prepared for your test?" Oobleck asked as he popped his head through the open door.

"Yes professor, as ready as I'll ever be."

 _*RWBY Dorm*_

"Say what you will about Jaune, but his performance in combat is lacking at best." Weiss stated.

"Weiss, just because it's true doesn't mean you can say it like that. My guess is that Ozpin saw something in him that would allow him to be better." Yang defended.

"I mean look at Ruby, she has a major disability, yet she keeps pace with everyone just fine, even surpassing others sometimes. I'm sure that with time, Jaune will be a competent fighter too." Blake added. Before Weiss could respond, the door suddenly opened, revealing a worn-out Ruby.

"Oobleck talks way too fast." Was all she said before collapsing on Weiss's bed.

"Hey! Get in your own bed, I don't need you messing mine up." Weiss yelled.

"Nope. Too tired." Ruby defended. Before Weiss could get more worked up, Yang picked Ruby up and gently set her down on her own bed.

"Take a nap Ruby, we'll all be here later." Was all Yang said before Ruby drifted off.

"Something is definitely wrong if she's tired after a test. She's taken four already and was never tired after any of them." Weiss spoke.

"Yeah, you're right. Look, we can't do anything now until she wakes up. Call me when she wakes up? I'm hungry." Yang asked.

"No problem. Weiss, why don't you go too, I haven't seen you eat much today." Blake suggested.

"Alright. Remember, call us." Was all Weiss said before following Yang out the door. Blake sighed in relief as the only sounds in the room were Ruby's steady breathing and the pages of her book. With her plan now in motion, Blake waited patiently. Over the last few nights, Blake swore she heard something in the room, however with Yang's snoring, it made it difficult to tell.

Blake had gotten through a full chapter in her book before she noticed the sound. Looking across the room confirmed her recent suspicions. Ruby was crying in her sleep, albeit quietly. Blake wondered what could have Ruby crying, especially so early into the year. 'Perhaps it's stress?' Blake wondered to herself. Blake remembered that Monday was meant to start team exercises, perhaps that was the problem. Pulling out her scroll, Blake sent a message to Yang, telling her about Ruby.

"Ruby, we're going to have a lot to talk about." Blake spoke aloud, not expecting any answer. Returning to her book, Blake waited patiently for either Ruby to wake up, or for the rest of her team to return. Blake was only waiting for an hour though before Ruby began to stir.

"Hey Blake, how long was I out for?" Ruby asked groggily.

"Only about an hour and a half. Yang and Weiss went for some food, but they should be back soon." Blake explained.

"We're back!" Yang announced as her and Weiss walked into the room.

"I'd say speak of the devil, but I'm sure he would be more pleasant." Blake joked. Yang however ignored her comment and immediately set her sights on Ruby.

"So Ruby, anything planned for today?" Yang asked.

"Not really, I was going to meet up with Ren and Nora, but that won't be until later." Ruby explained.

"Good, because we need to talk. And I mean all of us." Yang stated rather flatly.

"Alright, what's going on?" Ruby asked, trying to keep her nerves under control.

"What's wrong? We know something is up." Yang stated offering no room for argument.

"We know that you have extra work to do, but even then, you never sleep so heavily afterwards, not to mention you've been distant as of late." Weiss added

"And I heard you crying in your sleep. Whatever the problem is, we can help you." Blake finished. Ruby was stunned, she thought she had been sneaky, but here were her two teammates already reading her like an open book. She tried to fight back the oncoming tears, however her efforts were in vain.

"I just- I feel like Ozpin made a mistake. I accepted the fact that I was blind long ago, I accepted that I would have to work hard. But here I am, the leader of a team and I can't eve use my own eyes. I've been trying to get ahold of Ozpin, see if I could step down as leader, but every time I tried, he was always busy." Ruby admitted, before openly sobbing. Everyone was shocked at her words.

"Ruby, you don't know that. How many chances have you gotten to lead us as a team?" Yang asked, pulling Ruby into a tight hug.

"But I'm younger than all of you, Weiss has been training for the role of leader, and I'm BLIND!" Ruby shot before breaking down again. Blake tried to think of something she could say but fell short. While she struggled to say something, Weiss suddenly stepped forward, pulling Yang away from Ruby. Before anyone could react, Weiss suddenly smacked Ruby in the side of the head.

"I would say you have an inferiority complex, but I think that's a little severe. Ruby, yes, I trained to take up as a leader, but I don't have that role, you do. Ozpin actually approached me last week and asked me about my thoughts on our team. I didn't understand what he was asking at the time, but now I do. Ruby, you haven't even had the chance to lead us as a team, let alone know if you're a bad leader. As it stands now, I will refuse leadership if you step down." Weiss spoke plainly, no malice, no annoyance, no emotion.

Sobbing once more, Ruby suddenly grabbed Weiss and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Weiss, I needed that." Ruby spoke between sobs.

"Stop hugging me and we'll call it even." Weiss growled. Letting go, Ruby sniffled.

"Sorry Weiss. Thanks guys, I needed that." Ruby spoke as she removed the cloth around her eyes. Wiping tears away, Ruby felt the stares directed at her. "What?"

"Sorry, we just, have never once seen your eyes." Blake admitted.

"It's fine, now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready." Ruby excused herself. Gathering the things she would likely need for the day, Ruby listened in on the conversation her team was having.

"Thanks guys, I don't know if I could have helped her through this one, I owe you one." Yang thanked the other two.

"Did Ozpin really talk to you?" Blake asked.

"Yes. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, especially since he never once referenced Ruby. I will admit though I am slightly annoyed that I didn't get her position, but I'm not going to start anything, I have no idea how good of a leader she is, but if initiation was anything to go by, I have high hopes for her." Weiss admitted. Smiling to herself, Ruby continued to pull a spare change of clothes from her section of the closet. Happy with her choice, she grabbed one of the spare bags and stepped out of the closet.

"Alright, I'm going to be with Ren and Nora for the rest of the night. Tomorrow, we're doing a team exercise, so be ready." Ruby explained as she made sure that she had everything she needed.

"Alright, take it easy then. They aren't staying in the forest, are they?" Yang asked.

"I would imagine not. Anyways, bye guys!" Ruby waved as she was out the door.

"Alright, so nobody was expecting that to be the reason?"

 **AN/ And done, next chapter will pick up right here with Ruby, then it's time for Forever Fall, and then on to the main PLOT! Pacing is kind of hard for me to judge with this one, but that's why I like it, what happens, just happens, and I get to have fun with it. Not to mention you all seem to love this. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back again! So, to answer a review, Ruby does still need a cane. Her 'sight' comes from the use of her aura, and while she can see dust, it's doesn't react the same way as aura, it takes more effort to see, so Ruby generally doesn't focus on dust as much as she does grimm or aura. And grimm reacts similar to aura, only it's more like looking at black on a grey background. I'll explain more once we get into volume 2 and 3. Anyways, onto the chapter!**

Ruby was glad that her team was there for her. She didn't want to think what would have happened if she had continued her thoughts. With Ren and Nora by her side though, Ruby was ready to relax during the weekend.

"So Ruby, what exercises do you have to do?" Nora asked as she skipped along.

"Meditation mostly. I never explained how my sight works, did I?" Ruby asked as Ren spoke up.

"I understand that it's your aura, but that's about it." Ren acknowledged.

"Yeah, I push my aura out and I can sense the aura of anything around me, same with grimm or dust, but dust is a lot more annoying to try to see." Ruby explained.

"I imagine that gives you a big advantage. I remember reading about a program in Atlas, I assume you were involved in that?" Ren asked as Nora ran ahead.

"I still am. I'm one of the few participants that are trying to fight, the only one to so far make it into an academy." Ruby explained.

"That's super cool! We're friends with one of the most badass people on Remnant!" Nora exclaimed as she hung upside down from a tree branch.

"Not really. Something we found is that aura is used in everything we do. Ren, when you punch something, your aura spreads out. Nora, when you use your semblance, your aura is everywhere. Whenever Weiss uses her glyphs, I can see each one in full detail. If a lot of aura or dust is discharged, it's comparable to a flashbang to you guys, if not worse." Ruby explained.

"I can understand. Nora, go have fun, Ruby, we'll stay here. Is there anything I can help you with?" Ren asked as Nora cheered and ran off, hammer in hand.

"No, these are solo exercises. Someone will be coming during the Vytal festival to do the bigger ones." Ruby explained.

"Alright, let me know if you need something." Ren spoke before he and Ruby descended into silence, with Nora making a rare noise. Focusing her aura, Ruby pulled her aura back. With her aura pulled in, Ruby pushed out. As her aura spread across the Emerald Forest, grimm and auras alike began lighting up. She could see Nora running across the forest, destroying any grimm she came across. She could see the dust coming from Magnhild.

However, something caught Ruby by surprise. Ren's aura flickered, not by a lot, nor did its shape change. No something about it in the way it looked to her. Pulling her aura back in, Ruby began the exercise again. This time however, Ruby forced her aura to explode outward, trying to get the same effect. What she saw startled her. She could see Nora now, as well as Ren. Focusing on Ren again, Ruby saw the same thing happen. However, Nora's aura reacted the same way, further confusing Ruby. Pulling her aura back one more time, Ruby tried to focus her aura as hard as she could. Feeling satisfied, Ruby let her aura explode outward. Ruby was now on the edges of the forest, however Ren's voice broke her focus.

"Ruby, was that your aura?" Ren asked, having felt a huge rush of aura.

"Y-yeah, sorry, I got a little carried away." Ruby apologized. Filing away the experience for later, Ruby began her stretches.

"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting that."

 _*The Next Day*_

Ruby was feeling refreshed. Her exercises had come a long way since she had first started them. Ruby could now extend her aura from her dorm room to the food hall with little strain. However, the new experience had her both worried and excited.

"So, something happened last night." Yang stated.

"Yeah, I was doing my exercises, and I saw Ren and Nora's aura change." Ruby replied, barely containing her excitement.

"Have you started writing a report? You know that they'll want to know what's going on." Yang asked.

"Yeah, but I want to work on it a bit more. I want to be able to describe it better, so I don't have to waste a break and go all the way to Atlas." Ruby said as she searched for one of her books.

"How often do you go to Atlas?" Weiss asked.

"Once every year, usually during the Summer. Really, I should be there full time, but we didn't want to move, and I didn't want to enroll at Atlas anyways, so they send someone down to us to gather data from me." Ruby explained as she found her book.

"Must be annoying to travel so much." Blake chimed in.

"Not really, I have friends in Atlas, one of which is a student. It's always nice to see them again." Ruby explained further.

"So, we're doing some team training today, right Rubes?" Yang asked as she stretched her arms.

"Yeah, I have a ring in the gym set aside for us. I want to work on team attacks and see what we're all working with." Ruby confirmed.

"Alright, who wants to grab a bite to eat then go down?" Yang asked.

"Sounds good! I heard they had tuna sandwiches today for lunch." Ruby set her book down on her bed before jumping up. With Weiss and Blake standing up, Ruby walked towards the door, only to end up folding herself over Weiss's bed.

"Did you really forget that my bed was right there Ruby?" Weiss asked, sighing.

"I want cookies." Was all Ruby said in response.

"Is this a regular occurrence Yang?" Blake asked as she watched Ruby pick herself up.

"Do you mean the cookie thing or the furniture thing?" Yang asked, only barely containing her giggles.

"Both, I guess?" Was Blake's response.

"Yes." Was all Yang replied with.

"To the lunch room!" Ruby ordered as she brushed herself off. Ensuring that she had her cane collapsed and, on her hip, Ruby followed her team out the door. With small talk about the coming weeks filling the silence, the team walked towards the food hall.

"So, I know it's still a couple of months off, but who else is ready for the Vytal festival?" Yang asked.

"It'll be interesting, that's for sure. Think you'll be up for the fighting Ruby?" Blake asked.

"As long as I don't have a migraine. If I have one I can't fight at all." Ruby said.

"What do you mean? It's as simple as taking some medication, right?" Weiss asked.

"Not really. Aura takes a lot out of you when you use it like I do. Once or twice a month I have to stay in bed because I have no aura. That, and the pain is terrible." Ruby explained.

"That sucks. I can't imagine going through that." Blake offered in response as they entered the food hall.

"Eh, I just sleep a lot on those days, no use in trying to do anything else really." Ruby said nonchalantly.

"Alright, food, and cookies, for the leader. You guys go on ahead, I got this." Yang shooed her other teammates away. Getting food for herself and Ruby, Yang made quick work of the line. Returning to their team, the sisters sat down and began to dig in, throwing jokes and stories around. Suddenly however, a pained cry came from behind the red and white duo, turning around to see what the problem was, they all scowled.

"And there goes Cardin again." Blake grumbled.

"How does Ozpin still allow him to attend?" Weiss asked, disgusted with the young man's actions.

"Probably has access to money, that or he has powerful family." Yang responded. Cardin continued to harass Velvet, now pulling on her ears.

"Stop it, that really hurts!" Velvet cried out in pain. Before anyone could stop her, Ruby was already on top of Cardin, pulling his arm back as he let go of the rabbit faunus.

"Leave her alone." Ruby growled.

"Oh, look at that, the blind kid thinks she's tough. Listen here, the faunus are just animals, and we're just showing this one her place." Cardin sneered.

"No, you're being a piece of shit. Now leave her alone." Ruby growled as Cardin turned to tower over her.

"Just try to see this coming." Was the only warning Ruby got before Carin swung his fist downward. Using her semblance, Ruby dodged the swing with ease before jumping and pulling her legs in. Aiming her feet at Cardin's chest, Ruby let her semblance do most of the work as she kicked, planting her feet squarely on Cardin's chest, sending him flying.

"Try not to be obvious and you might actually win a fight." Ruby shot back as Cardin pulled himself from the floor. As Cardin stood up, the doors slammed open, revealing an angry Goodwitch.

"Mister Winchester. While you are at this establishment, you will treat your fellow students with respect. We do not allow racism on this campus, and if this behavior continues, you will be expelled effective immediately and Beacon will seize all weapons and armor. Is this understood?" Goodwitch lectured on the spot as the color slowly drained from Cardin's face.

"Y-yes ma'am, understood." Cardin replied.

"Good. And for you miss Rose, next time you see something like this, report it to faculty. While it was noble of you to step in, we do not condone violence against another student. Consider this a warning." Glynda turned on her heel and walked off. As soon as she was out the door, team CRDL took off running.

"Are you alright?" Ruby asked, turning her attention to Velvet.

"I am, thank you." Was all Velvet said before running off herself.

"Well, that was a thing." Was all Yang could respond with.

"How can someone treat another so horribly?" Weiss asked.

"It's because she was a faunus. Racism still exists, even though discrimination is illegal." Blake explained.

"If only the Winchester family owned a business, I would have them run out." Weiss said. Blake was surprised to hear this from Weiss.

'Perhaps I was wrong about the Schnee heiress.' Blake thought to herself. Finishing their meals in relative peace, team RWBY found themselves in the training facility.

"Alright team, let's do this!" Ruby shouted enthusiastically.

"So how should we do this? You said you wanted to work as a team, should we demonstrate for each other?" Blake asked as she tightened the ribbon around her arm.

"That's actually not a bad idea, Yang, you're up!"

 **AN/ And that is done! Just kinda felt like doing a chapter for A Life In Darkness, don't know why. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Welcome back everyone! Who's ready for the end of the semester? I know I am! Not sure where this one will go, I'm going to be honest, until stuff actually picks up, it's mostly just me fucking around with this little au that I made. I have no major plot points in mind until volume 2 starts up, so I'm just trying to pad for time, considering it was a general consensus that there should be no time skip. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

By the time team RWBY had demonstrated their skills, they were all thoroughly exhausted.

"That was a good show. Weiss, your glyphs are going to be fun to work with." Ruby said between breaths.

"I agree, I can already think of some uses for them. Yang, Weiss, you good to try something?" Blake asked as she dried her face with a towel.

"I've got it in me, what about you Weiss, you cool to go?" Yang asked with a slight laugh at her pun.

"Not much, but I should be able to do whatever you have in mind." Weiss tried to muster a glare but couldn't bring herself to.

"Alright, Weiss, I need you to make a sheet of ice. Yang, after she does, you need to use your semblance and just slam down. It's that simple." Blake explained. Receiving nods from her teammates, Blake sat next to Ruby and just watched as Weiss used the last of her white dust.

"Alright, Yang, are you ready?" Weiss asked as she stood back.

"Yeah, Ruby, you know what to do." With Ruby nodding and then putting a thumb up, Yang readied herself. Using the last of her aura to generate heat in her fist, Yang slammed her fist down onto the sheet of ice, Yang watched as it vaporized immediately, filling the room with a refreshing mist.

"Blake, name anything you want, and it's yours." Was all Ruby said as she slumped down to the floor. With the refreshing mist now filling the room, everyone began to relax.

"So, who's ready for the trip to Forever Fall?" Yang asked as she sat next to Ruby on the floor.

"It's been awhile, it'll be good to see the forest again. There are spots that are just absolutely beautiful." Blake spoke up.

"I think I have a painting in my room back home of Forever Fall. I've always wanted to see the forest when I was younger." Weiss added.

"I'm pretty sure my opinion means nothing." Ruby spoke as she sat back up, only to be knocked back down by Yang.

"Either you're too tired, or you weren't using your aura, which is it?" Yang asked.

"Tired." Was all Ruby responded with.

"We should probably clean up. We can rest for the day and then tomorrow we should study." Weiss advised.

"I agree, I would help, but you know, can't see." Ruby spoke up as Yang helped her to her feet.

"If it were anyone else I would be yelling at you, but I really can't argue that." Weiss sighed in defeat. With that, everyone set out to clean the room. With only minimal work required, the room was cleaned within a matter of minutes.

"Back to the room! I need a shower!" Ruby exclaimed as they put away their weapons. With team RWBY beginning their trek back to the dorms, Ruby was left to think on everything she saw today. 'Yang can bring a lot of power to the table, Blake is incredibly fast and evasive, and Weiss is a great base. I can think of several team combos. I'll have to talk with Weiss though, I just hope she has enough dust.'

"Alright, Ruby, shower is yours, don't take too long." Yang said as she pushed Ruby towards the door.

"Alright, now that Ruby is distracted, we can talk. We haven't had the time to, but this is something I need your help with." Yang explained once she heard the shower turn on.

"Alright, what's up? It's not something bad, is it?" Weiss asked as she opened a water bottle.

"No, nothing like that. Ruby's birthday is in a couple months, and I want it to be special. Thankfully it coincides with the Vytal festival, but especially since she managed to get into Beacon early, I want it to be her best birthday ever." Yang explained.

"Is that all? I could make it worthy of a king." Weiss spoke up.

"Yeah that's the thing, that would be a bit much. Remember, it's for Ruby, she can't see a thing. It's more about how fun it is, not the visual spectacle. So, think you two can help?" Yang asked, watching Weiss visibly deflate.

"I'm in, sounds like it'll be fun, as long as Weiss doesn't throw a school worth of funding at a present alone." Blake quipped.

"Hey! I don't throw money all over the place, I have self control!" Weiss shot back.

"Thanks, guys, now let's just get through the next couple of months, and then we'll be set." Yang intervened, preventing an actual fight from breaking out.

"So, when even is her birthday?" Weiss asked.

"It's on Halloween, and trust me, she goes nuts on Halloween." Yang explained as she heard the water shut off, "Remember, say nothing around her."

"Alright, shower is up for whoever wants it. I'm taking a nap, wake me up when it's time for dinner." Was all Ruby said as she found her way to her own bed and promptly flopped onto it.

"Ruby, where's your cloth wrap?" Weiss asked, noting its absence.

"Bathroom, I want to be lazy right now." Ruby responded with.

"Really, I can't argue with that, Weiss, shower is yours, unless Yang wants it, I'm going to read." Blake offered as lilac eyes met blue.

"That shower is mine." Was all the two girls said before a short-lived race to the door ensued. Yang managed to get to the door first, however found a glyph preventing her from opening it. Before she could react, a second glyph formed at her feet. Attempting to move, she found that she was slowly being pulled away.

"Hey! Not fair!" Yang shouted as Weiss strolled into the bathroom calmly. Before Yang could say anything else, a pillow hit her in the back of her head. Turning to see Ruby without hers, Yang quickly apologized.

 _*Monday Morning*_

Ruby decided that whatever gods existed officially hated her. Ruby could hear the rest of her room waking up, each noise an assault on her ears, made worse by the incessant alarm on their shared clock. Her only saving grace was the sudden silencing of said alarm.

"Ruby, do you need to take today off?" Yang whispered gently. Nodding her head and holding out her cloth being the only response needed.

"Anything we can do to help?" Weiss asked quietly.

"Just be as quiet as you can be while getting ready. We'll talk outside." Heeding the words of the elder sister, the monochrome pair quietly dressed and gathered their belongings. Ensuring they had everything, they silently slid out the door.

"Was that the migraines she mentioned?" Blake asked, noticing a small collection of voice recorders.

"Yeah, let me just message Jaune, see if they can't get Nora to be quiet today." Yang said a she opened her scroll.

"Do you think our professors are aware of her situation?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, they know. We made sure it was on her school files, it never became a problem." Yang explained as she sent her message to Jaune.

"Either way, today was supposed to be partners in combat class, so it looks like you get a free hour Weiss." Blake joked.

"Don't remind me." Weiss groaned as Yang pulled the two along. Weiss silently groaned, cursing her luck. 'If father ever found out about this, he would have a field day.'

"So, this happens once a month?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, sometimes it skips a month, but lately it's been more severe. They think it's just that she's outpaced her aura training, but there is no proven answer, because she is the first in her situation." Yang explained as the trio walked to the stadium. Yang found herself slightly annoyed at the altered schedule, though she understood the importance of being able to spar with your team.

"Hopefully something can be done for her, I can't imagine being in her shoes. What is our schedule for today anyways?" Weiss asked.

"We have combat class for three hours straight, then the rest of the day is normal. I know you love professor Peach's class Weiss, be strong, you can play with dust tomorrow." Blake joked, earning a huff from the heiress. Before any arguments could break out they found themselves at the stadium.

"Good morning team RWBY, where is your leader?" Glynda addressed the three girls as they walked through the doors.

"Migraine, she's bedridden for the day." Yang explained.

"A shame, I wanted her to spar first today. My apologies miss Schnee, but I must ask you to stay on the sidelines for the first half of class." Glynda spoke.

"My grade won't suffer, will it professor?" Weiss asked as Yang and Blake sat down.

"Your grade for today will show partial credit, but that is only because I cannot grade you on something you are unable to do. I will personally ensure your grade is not affected by your partners absence." Glynda assured the white themed heiress.

"Thank you, professor." Weiss bowed before walking to her team.

"You're very uptight about your grades, aren't you?" Yang asked as Weiss sat down.

"Excuse me for ensuring I sit at the top of the class, but I can't afford to have my grades drop." Weiss defended.

"That's rich talk for 'I don't want to lose my allowance' Yang." Blake joked.

"I will end you Belladonna." Was all Weiss said as team JNPR sat next to them, with a red square around Nora's mouth.

"Thankfully duct tape exists, otherwise Ruby would hate us." Was all Jaune explained with as he sat down.

"I was hoping to spar against you two Weiss, I suppose it will have to wait for another time." Pyrrha apologized.

"It's quite alright Pyrrha, perhaps this weekend." Weiss suggested as Jaune tried to sit closer to Weiss.

"Yeah, maybe we can all book a sparring ring, it'd be fun to fight you two, maybe make it a team event?" Jaune suggested, not noticing Weiss's annoyed sigh.

"As fun as that sounds, it is ultimately up to Ruby, and she is in bed for the day, so we'll have to plan this later." Weiss replied, trying her hardest to be civil. 'What does this dunce want from me, he tries everyday to court me, does he not understand I'm not interested in him?'

Weiss was annoyed with Jaune and could already tell that today was going to be a long day, if not from the boredom, then from Jaune trying harder than usual today.

 **AN/ May 7** **th** **. May. 7** **th** **. That was when I started this chapter, when that first AN was written. It took me a full month to write this one chapter. There is no excuse I can offer to make up for this. Work is a major bitch, and with my unwillingness to write with family nearby, I couldn't find or make time to do anything. I hope to get right back into everything and finish off these two stories and get started on my next projects. Until next time, I hope you all have an amazing day!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ So for those of you that only read this story, I have discontinued my other story, Shrouded Truth. I have asked for you the readers to select the premise of it's replacement. The options are Space au, Modern PTSD au, and thief au. Leave your vote in a review. Anyways, onto the chapter!**

Ruby hated today. She was missing her most anticipated combat class, her aura was gone, and she was hungry. 'I suppose I could ping Weiss, I doubt she's doing anything right now.'

As Ruby began feeling around for her scroll, a gentle rasping at the door caught her attention.

"Come in." Ruby called out quietly.

"Hello miss Rose. I heard you were feeling, under the weather today." Ozpin spoke. Ruby was never more thankful for a person's voice than right now.

"You could say that." Ruby replied quietly.

"Well, I felt the need to check on you and make sure everything was alright. Is there anything you need before I go?" Ozpin asked.

"Could you have some food sent to me? I kinda missed breakfast." Ruby asked.

"Of course, miss Rose. Please, rest up, a huntress must take care of themselves before they can help others." Ozpin said before quietly leaving. With the room now silent again Ruby awaited her lunch.

 _*Weiss*_

Watching her teammates spar was as entertaining as it was boring. Because of the odd number of pairs, Weiss was able to socialize with the entirety of the first years within the first forty minutes.

"So, tell me, what's it like to have Ruby be your leader? Must be an interesting dynamic all things considered." One of her classmates asked. She considered her response before talking.

"It is. She mostly keeps herself on track, making sure we have everything we need. But her classwork is entirely her own, how she can keep track of those recorders is beyond me." Weiss commented.

"Isn't her being blind a liability though? I mean yeah she has her aura, but once out she's blind as a bat in the middle of a battlefield, right?" The other asked.

"Yeah, but she's been training her aura for most of her life, or so I've been told. But she can see just about any major change in numbers, she knows exactly where her targets are, she's hardly a liability." Weiss explained. As Glynda ended a spar, Ozpin walked through the doors.

"Professor Ozpin, have you come to check on the students' progress?" Glynda asked, confused as to why Ozpin was here.

"Not quite, I actually need to borrow one of your students before you move on to singles, if you don't mind. Miss Schnee, if you could please come with me?" Ozpin asked. Silently standing, Weiss straightened her skirt and walked to the doors.

"Is something wrong professor?" Weiss asked.

"No, however your partner has just informed me she hasn't eaten, and who else should fix that than her own partner?" Ozpin asked, not expecting any serious response.

"Seriously, how does someone forget to eat?" Weiss asked as she walked alongside the headmaster.

"Be that as it may, I have arranged for a meal to be prepared for miss Rose in the food hall, they will be expecting you, bring the meal to your partner, and you may return to class." Ozpin explained before turning towards his classroom.

"That dolt, I swear." Weiss muttered. With no real hurry Weiss was able to walk at a comfortable pace. With time to herself, Weiss reflected on what her classmates had asked her about Ruby. 'Sure, what they said is true, but over the weeks, she has proven herself capable and self-aware.'

Before long, Weiss found herself approaching the food line. "Ah miss Schnee, the headmaster told us you would be stopping by. Here, we just finished preparing your partners meal, that should last her until classes end for the day." The head chef spoke as he handed Weiss a small bag.

"Thank you, I'll be sure that she eats." Weiss thanked the chef before turning on her heel. Walking out the doors, Weiss looked over what was prepared. Seeing sandwiches and other softer foods, Weiss had to wonder if that was intentional. Walking through the courtyard, Weiss was glad that today was nice and sunny, it meant that she wasn't in Atlas, something she always took time to remind herself of.

With the short walk from the food hall to the dorms Weiss found herself walking as stealthily as possible. She knew Ruby wouldn't be able to hear her, and honestly couldn't bring herself to stop. Slowly walking up the stairs, Weiss found her dorm. Slowly opening the door, Weis found the beds empty and the door to the bathroom shut.

"Hello? Who's there?" Weiss heard Ruby call out, followed by a grunt of pain.

"It's me, Weiss, Ozpin had me bring some food to you." Weiss said quietly, only loud enough to be heard.

"Thank you, Weiss, I'll be out in just a moment." Ruby replied. With the sound of running water filling the small room, Weiss noticed how unbelievably quiet the tap was. Hearing it shut off, Weiss watched as Ruby hobbled out of the opening door, holding a glass of water and some pills.

"Dust you look horrible." Weiss commented, before trying to apologize.

"It's fine Weiss, you're not the first, nor will you be the last t say that when I'm like this. Here, can you hold these while I look through the food?" Ruby asked, hands outstretched with a cup of water and some pills. Setting the food down on Ruby's bed, Weiss took the offered items.

"I didn't look at what they got you, but that should be more than enough food to get you by until we get back." Weiss explained. Watching as Ruby dug through the bag. As she pulled out a smaller bag, Weiss was horrified to watch her rip it open and stuff the food item into her mouth without the thought to even identify it.

"Pills and water please." Was all Ruby said as she held her hand out. Complying with the request more for her own safety.

"What was that you just ate?" Weiss asked.

"I think it was banana bread." Was all Ruby said.

"Well, I need to head back to class, are you ok for now?" Weiss asked as she stepped towards the door.

"Weiss, I have an ever-present migraine that I just took medicine for in the vague hope it'll do something this time, I'm about as good as can be, now go before you miss anymore class." Ruby shooed her out the door. Leaving as quietly as possible, Weiss hurried back to the arena.

 _*Blake and Yang*_

"I hope Weiss gets back soon, duos are ending soon." Yang commented.

"It's Weiss, I'm sure she would murder someone if she was late." Blake said, accentuated by Weiss walking through the doors.

"Speak of the devil." Yang joked as Weiss sat down.

"Yang, I have a question, does Ruby look like death whenever she gets like this?" Weiss asked.

"Skin grey, sunken eyes, deeper voice?" Yang asked, receiving a nod.

"Yeah, we don't know why, it's a common trait though." Yang explained.

"By the way, what did Ozpin need you for? I assume it had something to do with Ruby?" Blake asked.

"Ozpin needed me to bring her food. Apparently, she completely skipped over breakfast and had been awake the entire time." Weiss explained.

"Yeah, that happens. Anyways, you made it just in time for the singles, Pyrrha is about to stomp Russel." Yang said as Pyrrha and Russel stepped onto the arena floor.

"This is so one sided, a rigged coin toss would be fairer." Blake said as Russel rushed Pyrrha. The blade lock was the last thing anyone saw before Russel was gone.

"And the winner is Ms. Nikos!"

 **AN/ Remember to vote with a review, the next story will start soon! Until next time, have a great day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Alright let's get this show on the road! I spent the weekend visiting family out of state and not at work, so despite not being able to write, I really can't complain. Also speaking of work, I got a new job that I start on the first, the hours should be better, the pay is leagues better, and it will be far less stressful. In other words, I've moved up ever so slightly. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

"Remember students, you must stay together. While beautiful, the Forest of Forever Fall is filled with grimm. I don't care if you think you're tough, or if you can see a grimm before it smells you." Glynda spoke. Ruby could only smile before watching Jaune follow Cardin.

"Is everything alright Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, noticing the slight slump in the spartans shoulders.

"I'm quite alright Ruby, thank you for asking. However, I do wish Jaune would have spent today with us." Pyrrha added.

"It does seem strange. But has anyone noticed how Jaune has been talking?" Ruby asked, noticing the other turn to her.

"What? Has nobody noticed it?" Ruby asked again.

"The fact that you of all people are noticing something like that is both amazing and annoying." Weiss said with an annoyed sigh.

"I'll take that as a compliment. But really? Whenever you bring up Cardin around him, he starts talking as if he's scared." Ruby explained. Pyrrha was shocked, she knew about Jaune's secret, had Cardin found out somehow?

"Help! Ursa!" The group watched as three members of team CRDL ran past, Russel tripping over his own feet.

"Where?!" Pyrrha asked.

"Back there, it has Cardin!" Russel pointed back to where they had run from.

"You guys get miss Goodwitch, you two, with me!" Ruby ordered, pointing to Pyrrha and Weiss. Running up the hill towards the large grimm, Ruby noticed Cardin was down on the ground. Fearing the worst, she sped forward.

"Ruby wait!" Pyrrha shouted using her semblance to catch the pins on her cloak.

"Pyrrha, we have to help!" Ruby countered.

"No, Jaune needs to learn how to fight, and if you would notice, you would see he's actually doing remarkably well, for himself at least." Pyrrha explained, hoping she didn't sound hateful. Ruby took the time to notice that Jaune was indeed using everything he had at his disposal, even if his form was somewhat sloppy. However, as Jaune knelt, Ruby noticed something about his shield, she could see it. Turning around her, Ruby noticed Pyrrha's hand was the same color.

"What was that?" Ruby asked, turning towards Pyrrha.

"That was my semblance, you have your speed, Weiss has her glyphs, I have polarity." Pyrrha explained.

"I'm borrowing you this weekend. Now what do we tell miss Goodwitch?" Ruby asked.

"Who says we have to say what happened? This could be or little secret." Pyrrha said with a smile as Weiss nodded in agreement.

 _*Later that Night*_

"Pyrrha, I'm sorry for being an idiot, can you forgive me?" Jaune asked as he looked down in shame.

"Of course, Jaune, are you willing to accept my help?" Pyrrha asked as she pulled Jaune's gaze upward.

"If the offer is still on the table, then yes, please." Jaune said.

"Good, we'll start tomorrow night, Ruby has asked for me tomorrow morning, now come on, your team wants to spend time with you." Pyrrha said as she pulled Jaune back indoors.

 _*The following day*_

"So Ruby, what did you want from me?" Pyrrha asked as she set her weapons aside, following team RWBY's lead.

"So yesterday when Jaune was fighting that ursa, remember what you did to his shield?" Ruby asked.

"Of course, I used my semblance to move it, why?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, can you use your semblance on our weapons? I want to try something." Ruby asked trying her best to contain her excitement.

"She hasn't even told us what's going on, though going off of how excited she is, I think I might have an idea." Yang said, as Pyrrha looked back to the rest of team RWBY.

"I suppose I could, but do you mind telling us why?" Pyrrha asked as Crescent Rose began to move. However Ruby never answered, instead following the scythe as Pyrrha moved it. Ruby's next sentence silenced the room.

"So that's what it looks like. All these years and I could only feel what a scythe looked like." Ruby said, trying to hold back her emotions. Reaching out to touch her scythe, another weapon floated towards her.

"This is Weiss's rapier, and these are Blake's swords." Pyrrha spoke as she brought the weapons to float around Ruby.

"I didn't realize you used two swords Blake." Ruby said as she thumbed the blade of the cleaver.

"I'm sure you could have seen it while I fight, it's a fairly identifiable style." Blake explained.

"Blake, All I can see is your fists, for all I knew you were using a whip and punching with your off hand." Ruby deadpanned. As Ruby said this, four more shapes joined the rotating arsenal.

"These are Yang's gauntlets, and these are my shield and spear, I can't imagine you have much clarity with Yang's gauntlets though." Pyrrha said as Ruby released the gauntlets and moved onto the spear.

"I Always wondered how you were able to reach as far as you did. I honestly thought you just had a really long sword, but this makes more sense." Ruby said as she felt the face of the shield.

"The spear can shorten down into a sword, but I do prefer to be able to reach past my shield." Pyrrha explained.

"Thank you Pyrrha, the only other way I could've done this was with dust, and that is far too expensive and dangerous. If you ever need anything, just let me know, ok?" Ruby thanked as everyone picked up their weapons.

"It was no problem at all, what do you four have planned for today?" Pyrrha asked.

"The students from Haven are arriving by ship today, Weiss wants to be there to greet them." Ruby explained.

"She means spy on them." Yang clarified, much to the annoyance of the heiress.

"Well I hope you have fun, let me know what you see?" Pyrrha asked, adding to Weiss's annoyance.

"Bye Pyrrha, I'll make sure Weiss shares her notes!"

 **AN/ Short little chapter this time around, getting ready to move, started my new job and getting ready for the next semester is taking up what free time I have. Hopefully I'll have some more free time coming up. Talking about the story now though, I'm honestly glad I finally got to the Haven students arriving now, should have an easier time cranking out the longer chapters. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Hello everyone, I know I've been gone a while, but I haven't had the free time needed to actually write. That being said, I need to put Broken Mind on hiatus, I don't have the time needed to research well enough to do it right. I will be putting a notice in its description and replace it in my rotation, now should I do space AU or thief AU? Leave your response in a review. Anyways, onto the chapter!**

Arslan had to admit, she was enjoying herself. With the rest of her school on ships with her, they were finally able to relax before the festival.

"There you are!" Well, she was able to.

"Yes Reese, you found me, do you need something?" Arslan asked.

"Well Nadir was wondering where you went, and Bolin said, and I quote, leave my partner alone. So, I came to find you!" Reese said excitedly.

"I am only seventeen years, yet I feel like a single mother of three sometimes." Arslan sighed.

"At least you don't have to worry about Sun." Reese said.

"Yeah but now we have to deal with his team whining about their leader ditching them. Again." Arslan groaned.

"I'm surprised he actually did it. So, Beacon has an impressive lineup of first years, who do you think we'll fight?" Reese asked.

"Well, there is Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee, either one of them would be a formidable fighter." Arslan admitted.

"I heard Ozpin also admitted some kind of prodigy this year, but I can't be too sure, it was some kind of passing article, I didn't really look into it." Reese admitted.

"Send it to me, I'll see what it says. Now unless I need to fix some kind of emergency, leave me be until we land in Vale." Arslan shooed.

 _*With Team RWBY*_

"I don't see why I'm in the wrong here!" Weiss shouted.

"You're being discriminatory!" Blake countered.

"I'm a victim! Growing up, I've seen board members be assassinated, family members disappear! You want to know what I went through? My life has been under threat for as long as I can remember, so excuse me if I have a severe distrust of faunus, and a hatred for the White Fang." Weiss defended. Blake was stunned by this.

"Weiss look at Cardin, he's racist, a coward, and overall not what a huntsman should be. Now look at yourself, you're nowhere near as bad as Cardin, but the fact that you still act the way you do towards faunus in general is shameful. You want to be a huntress, yet you can't even begin to try to work past your problems." Blake countered.

"Weiss, Blake, stop. It's late, we're all tired. Yang, can you take Weiss across the hall and ask if Pyrrha and Nora will switch rooms for the night? We can work this out tomorrow, but if all you two are going to do is shout at each other, that will only create more problems." Ruby tried to reason.

"Don't bother, if Weiss wants to live in her own world where she can discriminate against us, then I'll show myself out for the night." Blake was at the door when she realized what she had just said. Before anyone could stop her, she broke into a sprint to get away from her team.

"Weiss stop!" Ruby demanded as she blocked the door.

"Didn't you hear her? She's a faunus, and from the sound of it, she was in the White Fang! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report her directly to Ozpin!" Weiss shouted.

"What has Blake done that would have caused harm to anyone here? She's our friend as well as yours." Yang countered.

"Maybe she's just a spy! You don't know why she's here!" Weiss shot back.

"You're wrong Weiss, she isn't a spy. Do you know what she told me when I first met her? She said that she hides her ears, so she can be judged for who she is, not what she is. Even if she was in he White Fang, does she see like the kind of person to enjoy mindless violence?" Ruby reasoned.

"Maybe she's putting up a front!" Weiss tried to counter.

"What are you trying to hide Weiss, all you're doing is trying to justify your actions, regardless of what it does to your friends. Tomorrow, you and Yang are going into Vale, and you are gong to search for Blake. If you don't find her by the end of the weekend, I will join you, understood?" Ruby ordered.

"You got it sis, I'll make sure she actually puts effort into it." Yang said with a thumbs up.

"I hate all of you."

 _*Blake*_

"Who's that?" Sun asked as Blakes scroll chimed.

"It's my leader, Ruby. She's asking me to take the weekend to myself, she'll come for me before the week starts." Blake explained.

"Ruby, is she the one that has the blindfold?" Sun asked.

"If she ever hears you say that, she will kill you. But yes, she is. Maybe sometime she'll explain it to you. Now come on, we need to find a place to stay." Blake said as she walked away from Beacon.

"You know of any cheaper hotels? I don't exactly have a lot of money." Sun asked.

"Actually, I know someone who'll let us stay for the weekend, now come on, it's late." Blake said as she led the way.

 _*The Next Day*_

"Remind me again why we're doing this? Can't I just report her to the authorities and get this over with?" Weiss asked as her and Yang stepped out of the store.

"No, and you're missing the point Weiss, this isn't about you getting some personal revenge, this is about you realizing that you didn't even give her a chance to explain herself. I have nothing to lose this weekend, so until you can control your bratty behavior, I will keep you out here." Yang threatened. Weiss threw her hands up in frustration before walking off, followed by Yang.

Hours passed before the freezerburn duo had to return to Beacon. Weiss was at her wits end by the time she fell onto her bed, however sleep did not come to her easily that night. Weiss's thoughts drifted to her uncle, and how he had been assassinated simply for his association to her last name. Then her thoughts drifted to Blake. Weiss had to silently agree that she never made any attempt to sabotage her, or anyone hear for that matter. She directed her anger at those like Cardin, and now herself.

"Dust I'm an idiot." Weiss muttered to herself in realization, thankful that the others had already gone to bed. She was thankful that Ruby would be joining them tomorrow, otherwise she wasn't sure if she would ever get the chance to apologize.

 **AN/ So that's a wrap. Kept it short because I feel the need to do the next couple of scenes as their own and as one. So as of today, Broken Mind will be put up on hiatus, remember to cast your vote in a review for space or thief AU, I will check tonight after work at about midnight EST, I will extend it though to midnight tomorrow if not enough people vote or it's a tie tonight. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back! And hopefully I can clear up a little issue I made with the last chapter without sounding like an idiot. Also, to address a review that came up in chapter 3 recently, Ruby does have use of her aura to "see" but it only interacts with another person's aura or dust, not something like say a book or shelf, so to maintain a good sense of awareness, she needs to be able to hear the world around her as well. Anyways, onto the chapter!**

When Ruby awoke, she was surprised to not see Weiss anywhere near the room. Slowly pushing her aura out as she woke up, Ruby searched the dorms for Weiss's aura. After being unable to find her partner, Ruby got out of bed to start her day.

"Yang wasn't here either, so they must be in the cafeteria, that, or they got an early start in Vale." Ruby said to herself. As Ruby dressed herself, she took notice of the influx of people in the dorms on the eastern end of the campus.

"Haven must be settling in right now. I haven't come across any of them yet." Ruby spoke aloud. As she finished getting dressed, her scroll rang. Picking it up, she answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Morning Ruby, you ready to head into Vale? Weiss is starting to get a little antsy." Yang joked.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute, where are you two?" Ruby asked as she gathered her things.

"We're down by the CCT, think you can get here by yourself?" Yang joked.

"Oh, ha ha, I'm blind, not crippled." Ruby shot back.

"Some would argue that they're the same thing. Come on, we don't have all day." Yang said before she hung up. Before she put away her scroll, Ruby prepared to send a message.

"Scroll, send a message to Blake." Ruby waited for her scroll to respond to the voice command. Hearing the chime, Ruby continued. "We are heading out soon, we will find you tonight, enjoy the rest of your day until then." Waiting again for another chime, Ruby issued one final command before leaving. "Send message."

With her message sent, Ruby stepped out into the hallway, making sure the door locked behind her. Finding the stairs and eventually stepped outside, Ruby let her sense wander as she took in the day. As she started walking, Ruby's mind continued to drift. Hearing the familiar taps of her boots against the cobblestone, Ruby let the pathways guide her. However, before she could get too far, she felt something run into her, bringing her and the unknown object to the ground with a thud.

"Ah, sorry! Wasn't paying any attention to where I was going!" A female voice said quickly.

"It's no problem, I wasn't paying attention either." Ruby apologized.

"Reese get off the poor girl, here, you okay?" Another female voice asked as Ruby brought her aura to focus.

"Thanks, so you must be Reese?" Ruby asked as the other female pulled her up.

"Yeah, sorry for that, I should've been paying attention to where I was going." Reese apologized.

"I said it wasn't an issue. And who are the rest of you?" Ruby turned to ask the other three.

"My name is Arslan, this is Bolin, and this is Nadir." Arslan introduced as she gestured to her other teammates.

"Ah, you must be from Haven, welcome to Beacon, the name's Ruby." Ruby introduced. Suddenly, she could feel their stares. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"If you call a blindfold something on your face, then yes." Bolin said.

"It's not a blindfold! Why does everyone call it a blindfold." Ruby said before using her semblance to sprint away.

"Well, I think you pissed her off Bolin." Arslan joked.

"What did I do?!" Bolin asked.

"Hey Arslan, I just remembered something from that article about that prodigy." Reese said, realization hitting her.

"And that is?" Arslan asked.

"It said that she was the first blind student at Beacon." Reese explained.

"And a black cloth around a part of the body is a Patch tradition for identifying the disabled." Arslan said as the realization hit her.

"Well Bolin, at least now we know what you did wrong." Nadir joked.

"I hope we don't ever go up against them in the tournament." Was all Bolin said.

 _*The CCT*_

"There you are, we were wondering when you would show up." Weiss said with an annoyed huff.

"Sorry, I ran into one of the teams from Haven. I really want to punch one of their faces in during the tournament." Ruby said, equally as annoyed as the heiress.

"What'd they do sis?" Yang asked.

"One of them called my shata a blindfold!" Ruby huffed, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry, a what?" Weiss asked.

"A shata, that's what this thing is called." Ruby explained pointing to the black cloth.

"I've never heard you call it that before." Weiss said.

"Because there isn't much of a reason to use traditional Patch outside of specific conversations. It would be like you referring to your heels in some old Atlesian language outside of some high society event or history lesson." Ruby explained.

"Still, you've never once mentioned what it's called. While everyone from Patch may know what it's called, everyone else from the other kingdoms don't unless they actively research other cultures and traditions." Weiss explained.

"Doesn't mean I can't call someone out for it." Ruby pouted.

"Ok, impromptu lesson over, Ruby, lead the way to Vale, oh fearless leader." Yang said with a dramatic bow, preventing Weiss from saying something.

"You two are just too much sometimes."

 _*Vale*_

"So, you're absolutely certain the White Fang isn't behind the dust robberies?" Sun asked.

"They've never needed this much dust before. I can personally vouch for the fact that if they had the amount that was stolen, they wouldn't know what to do with it all." Blake defended.

"Then why don't we prove it?" Sun suggested.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"Well, when I was on the ship, I overheard them talking about a huge shipment of dust coming in tonight, so to prove that it isn't the White Fang, you would go somewhere they would be, and not find them, right?" Sun explained.

"The fact that I made it through that explanation without having a stroke is astounding. But yeah, that's right. Come on, we don't have long before sun down." Blake said as Sun lead the way.

"What about your leader? She did say she was going to get you at sun down." Sun asked.

"She can wait. I need to prove that this isn't the White Fang, not for them, but for me." Blake responded.

"Alright, I can understand that. Come on, I know a little shortcut."

 _*RWY*_

"Ruby, you said so yourself that this should be easy for you, so why has it taken us so long to find her?" Weis asked as the street lights turned on.

"I'm not going to lie, I was hoping to kill time, but I actually am struggling to pick her out from the crowds right now, thankfully though, it's getting dark out and the crowds are shrinking. Tell you what, let's take a quick break, you two go eat." Ruby shooed her teammates away as she extended her cane.

"Alright, just be careful, let us know if you find anything." Yang asked.

"Thank the gods. Any more complaining from Weiss and I would've snapped." Ruby said to herself. Pulling out her scroll, Ruby waited for it to chime. "Scroll, send a message to Blake. Where are you? It's getting late and Weiss is starting to grate on me."

"Are you looking for your friend?" Ruby jumped, not expecting someone to talk to her.

"Oh! Uh, yeah, I am, what time is it? If you don't mind me asking." Ruby asked.

"Of course! It is currently twelve minutes after eight. Do you require assistance in finding your friend?" The girl asked. Focusing on her aura, Ruby noticed something was incredibly off about her, but decided to file the thought away for later.

"That would be amazing actually. The names Ruby, what's your name?" Ruby asked.

"My name is Penny, I'm visiting from Atlas for the festival!" Penny introduced excitedly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm just waiting for a message from my friend and we can start looking. Suddenly an explosion sounded from where Ruby had to guess the docks were.

"We should investigate that explosion Ruby!" Penny said, as Ruby pushed her aura towards it. Before Penny could say anything, Ruby was running.

"You're right Penny, we should, I found my friend!"

 _*Blake*_

Blake wished that just once, her life would calm down for more than a few weeks at a time. Fighting off White Fang grunts while Roman Torchwick took potshots at Sun and herself was not how she planned to spend the end of her weekend. Dodging a swing from a deer faunus, Blake struck him with the flat of her cleaver, turning to watch Sun begin a shotgun nun chuck assault on the crime lord.

"He's mine!" Shouted as she leapt over Sun, engaging the criminal herself while Sun caught his breath. Before she could react, Blake suddenly found herself on her back, with Roman pointing the end of his cane directly at her face.

"Hey!" A shout from the roof tops stopped the action around them as everyone present looked up to see a figure in a red cloak.

"Oh, hello Red, isn't it past your bedtime?" Roman asked with a smug smile.

"Ruby, are these your friends?" Penny asked.

"Stay back Penny!" Ruby ordered. Taking his chance, Roman shot at Ruby, hitting her in the gut and sending her sprawling on the roof. With Roman laughing at his shot, Penny took this moment to drop down, releasing her swords.

As more White Fang charged her, Penny beat them back one by one before she fired two of her swords behind her. As she pulled herself back two of the three bullheads lined up for a strafe run. Folding her swords and spinning them, Penny shot a large beam of energy at the two ships. Cutting each one in half, Penny set her sights back on the remaining grunts on the ground and charged.

"Kids these days just keep getting weirder and weirder." Roman muttered to himself as he and the last few grunts ran for the last bullhead. Penny watched them flee, electing to instead assist Ruby who was slowly standing up.

As Penny reached Ruby, she extended a hand. "Friend Ruby, the enemy has retreated. I feel that the remaining people are those that you were searching for, can you confirm?" Penny asked.

"Yeah, they're who I was looking for, thanks Penny. Think you could help me down? I can't tell if any was moved during the fight." Ruby asked as she checked to make sure no lasting damage was done.

"Of course, Ruby. If you would allow me to, I can carry you down safely." Penny said.

"That works, whenever you're ready." Ruby replied, right before Penny picked her up bridal style and carefully hopped down.

"Now Blake, I said to enjoy yourself, not run off and fight Roman Torchwick, care to explain?" Ruby asked with a voice the made even Sun flinch.

"It just kinda happened?" Was all Blake could respond with.

"I'm glad you're ok, but next time, ask one of your friends to help you." Ruby sighed.

"So, uh, you going to introduce us or what?" Sun asked awkwardly.

"Ruby, this is Sun, he's been keeping me company for the weekend. Sun, this is my friend and leader, Ruby." Blake introduced.

"Thanks for staying with Blake, I appreciate it." Ruby offered her hand.

"It was no big deal really, I have to say though, not even a week away from Haven and I'm already having fun." Sun joked.

"So how long until the police arrive?" Blake asked. As if to answer her questions, sirens rang through the night, followed immediately by multiple squad cars appearing at the docks.

After a short while of questioning by the police and explaining themselves the four students were allowed to rest. After having caught their breath, Penny had disappeared, much to Ruby's disappointment. However, it was short lived as she noticed Weiss and Yang coming closer.

"Brace yourself Blake, Weiss is coming." Was all Ruby said as Blake turned towards the entrance of the docks. True to Ruby's word, Weiss walked through the gates, followed closely by Yang. The white themed girl silently walked up to the faunus girl.

"Do you know, how long we have been searching for you?" Weiss started.

"Weiss, I-" Blake started before she was cut off.

"I have been looking for you all weekend. And in that time, I realized just how badly I reacted. The White Fang do not represent all faunus, and you said that you weren't affiliated with them anymore?" Weiss asked.

"That's right, I left them almost a year ago." Blake explained.

"Then I owe you an apology. Blake, I'm sorry I said what I did. And next time something like this comes up, you come to us first." Weiss apologized.

"Alright! Now, who else is tired?"

 **AN/ And that is a chapter. Hopefully I fixed a little inconsistency I made last chapter. I will hopefully get started on the next chapter of Street Gem very soon. Depends on if my friends are online and I get dragged into CoD tonight. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN/ I'm back everyone! Who's ready for this chapter? Because I'm ready to get this started. Let's see what we can do about some fluff, shall we? Also, the tournament draws nearer, and once that starts, I'm hoping I kill some people with the fluff, I'm really looking forward to getting there. Anyways, on with the chapter!**

While the food fight was plenty worth the toll it took on their outfits, Ruby did have to agree with Weiss.

"You just had to start that food fight, didn't you Yang?" Weiss asked as she carefully peeled her uniform off of her body.

"It was worth it, and you know it." Yang countered as she followed suit.

"I think that was the first loss Pyrrha ever experienced." Blake commented.

"I'm just glad I didn't run head first into the wall, though I think we showed Haven a good time. A lot of students were watching from the windows." Ruby said.

"Yeah, though I'm surprised Sun didn't get hit with anything. So, who's ready for the dance?" Yang asked.

"Team CFVY will make it amazing, Coco can't possibly be outdone." Weiss commented.

"Eh, the spectacle is lost on me. Can't imagine I'll have a date either." Ruby spoke indifferently.

"You're still going Ruby, Big Sis says so." Yang said as she waited for Blake to leave the bathroom.

"You can't make me!" Ruby said with a pout.

"While normally I would refuse to agree with your sister, Yang is right Ruby, everyone will be there, date or not. That being said, I'll help with your outfit. I get the feeling Yang would try to make you wear heels for some reason." Weiss joked as Yang just stared wide eyed.

"I mean, I was-" Yang started.

"Wait, you were actually going to make Ruby wear heels? As far as I can tell, Ruby has only ever worn combat boots, I'd be surprised if she didn't twist her ankle just by standing." Weiss argued.

"I can now say I've seen everything. Weiss Schnee not only agreeing with Yang, but also defending Ruby from poor influence." Blake joked as she emerged from the bathroom now clean.

"Mine!" Ruby shouted before stealing the bathroom from the other two girls.

"That little shit." Yang said, not believing Ruby just stole the bathroom from her.

"I heard that!" Ruby's muffled shout came from the other side of the door.

"So, who's up for a trip to Vale? One that preferably doesn't end in an all-out brawl?" Yang asked.

"I could go. I can get my dress early, and maybe help Ruby with hers." Weiss suggested.

"I need a new book. Last night has me thinking and I need to distract myself." Blake said.

Weiss paused as she was getting dressed, sharing a concerned look with Yang. Opting not to say anything at the moment, the two silently agreed to address Blake later.

"Why don't you take Yang with you? Yang could do to read more." Weiss suggested at her teammates expense. Yang was silent as Blake slowly agreed. The time passed slowly as the rest of the team cleaned and dressed themselves. Their trip from Beacon was spent with small talk, all while trying to take Blake's mind off of things.

"Alright, so as long as nothing happens, meet for dinner later?" Yang asked.

"Sounds good, we'll decide later. Now if you'll excuse us, your sister needs a dress." Weiss said as she pulled Ruby by her cloak.

"I can walk just fine Weiss!" Ruby shouted as she was dragged along.

Weiss wouldn't settle for anything less than a store that was perfect for herself. That was something Ruby had understood from the beginning of there trip. But what she wasn't expecting was to be dragged to the most expensive shop in downtown Vale.

"Weiss, I understand you have more than enough money to weaponize lien itself, but you really don't have to go this far for me." Ruby said quietly.

"Nonsense Ruby, I've seen your wardrobe, you need something nice, even if it's only a single dress. Might as well go all out with it." Weiss argued.

"I guess." Ruby agreed as Weiss led her through the doors.

"Welcome to Schonheit Wardrobe, ah, miss Schnee, what brings you in today?" A well-dressed man greeted.

"Hello Thomas, my friend and I are in need of dresses for a dance that is happening at Beacon. I assume Coco has already stopped by?" Weiss asked as Thomas stepped towards the two girls.

"She has yes, and who is your friend if I may ask?" Thomas asked as he looked towards Ruby.

"This is Ruby, my partner and team leader. She needs a perfect dress, she doesn't exactly dress to impress." Weiss teased.

"That was mean Weiss, not like I really have to care about how I look." Ruby defended.

"I take it you're from Patch, correct?" Thomas asked as he began preparing materials.

"I am, anything you can recommend?" Ruby asked.

"Depends on if you want to keep the shata for the dance. Any preference for your dress?" Thomas asked.

"I think I'll leave it for the night. And I don't want a long dress, I don't need to trip over it." Ruby explained, getting into the spirit of shopping. The pair spent four hours speaking with Thomas and getting their dresses sized and designed. Eventually though, the dresses were designed, and stomachs were empty.

"I'll take care of everything in here while you get ahold of your sister. Now shoo." Weiss waved Ruby out the door. Waiting for the door to close, Weiss turned back to Thomas. "Now that she's out of the way."

"You would like to make some changes to her dress, wouldn't you?" Thomas asked knowingly.

"Yes. I'm trusting you with this one. I want her turning heads, I feel like she'll need it that night. Just make it tasteful, I don't need her sister trying to kill me because some horny teen tried to put himself on her." Weiss explained.

"Of course, miss Schnee, leave it to me. Now run along, I must get to work." Thomas shooed the heiress out of the shop.

"All set Weiss?" Ruby asked as her partner stepped out of the shop.

"Of course, everything is payed for and delivery has been taken care of, now we just have to wait. Where are we meeting the others?" Weiss asked.

"Yang wanted chicken, Blake wanted fish, so we compromised and are going to a steakhouse." Ruby explained.

"They do know they can get either one of those dishes at a steakhouse, right?" Weiss asked.

"I'm not going to lie, I think we spent so long in there and they didn't want to interrupt, so they waited on empty stomachs and weren't thinking." Ruby said with a slight giggle.

"Of course, they did. Let's go, the longer we wait, the more likely Yang is to fight someone." Weiss sighed. Leading her partner through the city, Weiss thought to herself about what Thomas would do to Ruby's dress. 'Would he make it form fitting? Would he use netting?'

"whatcha thinking about Weiss?" Ruby asked, startling the heiress.

"Our dresses, I'm curious to see what they look like when he finishes them." Weiss said, avoiding the truth.

"I'm sure they'll look great. I'm just trusting you to make sure I have a decent dress." Ruby said. Avoiding the other people on the sidewalk became a chore for Ruby as everyone's aura began to blend together. Before Ruby realized what was in front of her, she collided with another person.

"Now I know how Reese felt." A vaguely familiar voice spoke.

"Ow, that one actually hurt." Ruby moaned as she massaged her forehead.

"Why didn't you walk behind me? This never would have happened you dunce!" Weiss chastised as she helped the other girl to her feet.

"No, it's fine, I wasn't paying attention. Funny that I run into the same girl that ran into my teammate the other day." Arslan said as she offered her hand to Ruby.

"Oh, I remember you! What was your name again?" Ruby asked, perking up as she picked herself up.

"Arslan, and you're Ruby, correct?" Arslan asked.

"Yep! And this is Weiss! She's my partner!" Ruby said excitedly.

"A little excitable, are we?" Arslan said with a quiet laugh.

"Very, it was nice meeting you, but if you'll excuse us, we're running late for dinner with the rest of our team." Weiss apologized as she led Ruby away.

"If you need anything, just look for team RWBY!" Ruby shouted as Weiss pulled her along. As Weiss led her partner along, the gears in her head began turning.

'Now I'm glad I made those changes to her dress. While I find her presence unbearable at best, perhaps Nora can help me with this, Ruby was just too ecstatic to run into someone like that.' Weiss thought. 'You owe me Ruby, you owe me.'

 **AN/ Matchmaker Weiss and Nora anyone? Anyone? Anyways, that's a wrap for this chapter, moving on soon to larger parts of the story. Also, anyone like Weiss's idea for Ruby's dress? Good friend or nah? See you all next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Back again with a new chapter! Who is ready? Before I start this, I want to address two reviews that were left on the last chapter. The first one concerning Ruby and how everyone plays matchmaker for her, in my opinion, is because Ruby is a socially awkward teen surrounded by people at least two years older and add on that she is incapable of reading faces and is unfamiliar with relationships, it's kind of a given here. The other review asking about whether or not Ruby purposefully walked into Arslan, no, she was in the middle of a crowd and was having issues picking out aura that could potentially be in her way. Ranty intro aside, onwards to the chapter!**

Blake was falling apart. She had to do something, anything, to figure out what was happening. She suspected her teammates knew something was wrong and was dreading having to explain herself. Before her thoughts could continue to spiral, her concentration broke.

"Blake? Blake! Remnant to Blake!" Weiss shouted, waving her hand in the raven-haired girls face.

"What? Sorry, I guess I spaced out. What's up?" Blake asked.

"I was going to ask if we could see your notes, but you've been increasingly moody and anti-social lately, which I get is your thing, but you need to talk to us." Weiss demanded, a small frown indicating her frustration.

"It's just, something is happening, and it's throwing everything I know on its head." Blake said.

"It's about Torchwick and the White Fang, isn't it?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, it is. The White Fang would never work with him, so what are they doing?" Blake asked nobody in particular.

"Well, why don't we find out?" Ruby asked, noting everyone in the room to turn and face her.

"Excuse me? Did you really just suggest we take on the criminal underworld of Vale?" Weiss asked, shocked at the younger girl's suggestion.

"I mean, why not? I've already kicked Torchwick's but once, Blake has inside knowledge of the White Fang. Really, it doesn't seem like it would be difficult honestly." Ruby reasoned.

"We're students, you do realize that, right? This is a full-blown criminal organization you want to take on, we're not ready!" Weiss defended.

"And we may never be ready! They won't just sit around and wait until graduation, we need to do something!" Blake countered. Blake wasn't sure where this fire came from, but if Ruby was going to side with her, she would continue to fan the flames.

"Alright, everyone who wants to bring down a criminal organization and single-handedly be the youngest huntresses to save Vale, say aye!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I'm in!" Yang shouted triumphantly.

"Fine, someone has to keep you from getting killed." Weiss sighed.

"None of you said aye." Ruby pouted.

"Let's plan for the weekend then, it'll be easier." Blake suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing. We can figure out what we need to do and go from there." Ruby added. Suddenly, Ruby stiffened, as if she was focusing.

"What's up Ruby?" Yang asked, more than used to this.

"There's someone walking down the hall. I don't recognize them, but their aura is familiar, like I've seen them before." Ruby explained. Brushing it off, Ruby turned back to her teammates.

"Anyways, now that we have that figured out, can we focus on studying please?" Weiss asked.

 _*Cinder*_

"Ya hear that boss? She's on to us already." Mercury said, worried.

"She suspects nothing, and I plan to keep it that way. You two, get close to them, distract them. I don't want them interfering with us." Cinder ordered.

"Of course, ma'am." Emerald said in agreement.

"Whatever." Mercury added.

 _*The Weekend*_

With new outfits on and doing a final check, team RWBY was almost prepared for their hectic day.

"Everyone understand what they're doing?" Ruby asked.

"I'm meeting a contact in the shady side of Vale. He owes me a favor, and I'll see what he knows." Yang said as she secured Ember Celica.

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings. I'm sneaking in and gathering what information I can." Blake said as she watched her team get ready.

"Ruby and I are going to the CCT and accessing Schnee Dust Company records to find any discrepancies in local and worldwide shipments of dust." Weiss explained.

"Alright, everyone know where we're meeting up afterwards?" Ruby asked.

"Can't say that we do." A voice called from the open window.

"Sun?! What are you doing here?" Blake shouted at the monkey faunus.

"I came by to see if you wanted to hang out with us, but what are you guys doing, going after Torchwick?" He asked.

"Yes, as a team, we don't want to get friends involved. I assume you forced your friend up here on that ledge?" Ruby asked.

"Hey, you should always get friends involved, right Neptune?" Sun turned and asked as the other three members of team RWBY looked out the window.

"Sup. Can we go inside now please? We're kinda high up." Neptune asked, clinging to the bricks. Bringing the two inside, Ruby began planning.

"Sun, since you're a faunus, you can go with Blake, Neptune, you can go with Yang." Ruby said as she stood beside her partner.

"Well, why doesn't Neptune come with me, and you go with Yang?" Weiss asked, hopeful.

"Nah, seems boring." Ruby said, causing Weiss to frown.

'This dunce really has no idea how someone goes about trying to court another.' Weiss groaned mentally while her partner dragged her out the door.

"I think Ruby just cockblocked Weiss." Yang said.

"I Don't think it goes that far. That being said, good luck Neptune, you're gonna need it." Sun added.

"So, we just go in, you wave your name around, and we get what we need?" Ruby asked.

"While I wish you wouldn't describe it like that, technically yes. Going through it is going to take me a while though, so hopefully that won't cause too many issues." Weiss explained. Deciding to change topics, Weiss continued. "So Ruby, is there anyone that you want to go to the dance with?"

"No, I really haven't thought about it. I figured I would just go single if I went at all." Ruby said.

"There must be someone you would want to go with. Think about it, the dance is still three weeks off, there is still plenty of time." Weiss said, noting Ruby's reaction to her words. 'Tomorrow, we break out the big guns.'

"What about you? Want Neptune to ask you to the dance?" Weiss froze, the accuracy hitting her like a truck.

"Well, yeah." Weiss said, thankful Ruby was unable to see her blush.

"Weiss, you literally just met him, give it a moment before you go head over heels for him." Ruby said, shocking Weiss.

"I mean, I was hoping to talk to him today." Weiss shot back.

"Weiss, today you need to focus, not swoon over pretty boy back there. Get trough today, then you can go run off with him." Ruby said, treating it more as a friendly order. As the duo reached the CCT, Ruby marveled at the dust circuits and conduits as they spun upwards.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Weiss asked, noticing her partners awe. "The CCT's were Atlas's gift to the world. While this tower is quite impressive, it doesn't compare to the one in Atlas."

"That was the first one, right?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, now come on, we don't have a lot of time." Weiss said as she pulled Ruby along.

"Penny? Penny!" Ruby ran off Leaving Weiss on the steps.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted.

"Go without me!" Was all the heiress got as she watched Ruby struggle to traverse the steps.

"Penny! Where have you been?" Ruby asked as she finally reached the ginger haired girl.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met." She said, followed by a hiccup.

"What? But Penny, that night at the docks?" Ruby asked. Penny looked around herself before leaning towards Ruby.

"We can't talk here." Was all Penny said before grabbing Ruby's hand.

 _*Yang and Neptune*_

"This the place?" Neptune asked as Yang brought her bike to a stop.

"No, I just needed to get some milk first." Yang spat as she rolled her eyes.

"Ok, not from around here." Neptune defended.

"Whatever. Come on, my friend is inside." Yang lead the blue haired boy to the doors. As they approached the doors, Neptune noticed the guards outside began falling over each other.

"Shit, it's her! Get inside!" They screamed as they managed to get through the doors. Neptune watched as Yang opened Ember Celica right before she ripped open the door, revealing a hallway filled with more guards and a larger door.

"Uh, Yang?" Neptune asked as Yang leapt forward, grabbing the nearest two guards and slamming their heads together. Neptune watched as the guards fell to Yang's wrath, as she fought her way to the door. As the last guards fell, Yang tried the door. Felling that it was locked, Yang smiled.

"Stand back Neptune, this is gonna be loud." Was the only warning Neptune got before Yang fired at the door, blasting it open. Neptune watched as Yang confidently walked through the wrecked doors. Neptune noticed the army of black suit clad guards pointing guns at the pair.

"So, uh, mind clarifying what you meant by friends?" Neptune asked, hands reaching towards his weapon.

"Stop! Stop! Blondie, you're here. Why?" A large man asked as he shoved his way through the crowd.

"You still owe me a drink."

 _*Sun and Blake*_

"So, this is the place?" Sun asked.

"Yes, now we just need to get inside." Blake responded as she peered around a corner. "Come on."

As the pair were led inside, they were given grimm masks. Sun stopped and sighed.

"If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide your face?" Sun asked.

"The man who started it, he was a violent person. Humans saw us as monsters, so we decided to don the face of monsters." Blake explained.

"That's, dark." Sun commented.

"Yeah, I never agreed with it, for good reason. Let's go, we've wasted too much time." Blake said as she pulled Sun into the main room. Fitting into the back of the crowd, the pair waited for someone to come on stage. Soon, a large man stepped on stage.

"Welcome, brothers and sisters of the White Fang, and welcome, to the new recruits. I thank you all for coming tonight. The White Fang has new plans, and a new ally in our fight against humans. May I present, Roman Torchwick!"

 **AN/ And that's it for that! Next time we'll see Penny, a robot fight, and maybe more! Now something I need to admit now. When I write, I sit down, and I crank out a chapter, rarely do I actually work on a chapter for more than a day. However, I've been having issues with writing, namely, keeping my stories separate. While trying to plan out this chapter, I kept coming up with ideas for Street Gem, and nothing for A Life In Darkness, and vice versa. Why am I like this, I don't know, but if chapters start slowing down, now you at least know why. The semester is ending soon, so hopefully I'll have more time to write. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is having a good start to the new year! Mech fight anyone? Penny feels? Yes, to both! So, class starts this week, and I have a 2-hour chunk of time I can hopefully use to write, so expect more updates this semester. Unless that whole plan folds itself up nice and tight and yeets itself into a fire, in which case, I will let all of you know. Anyways, on to the next chapter!**

"Penny, what is going on?! Why were they chasing you?!" Ruby asked, adrenaline pumping through her after her close call.

"Everything is *hic* Fine Ruby!" Penny shouted back defensively.

"Penny, you can trust me!"

"Ruby, you're my friend, right?" Penny asked, calming down, if only slightly.

"Of course, Penny, please, tell me what's wrong." Ruby asked.

"Ruby, I'm not a real girl." Penny said, holding Ruby's hands so she could feel the metal.

"I knew you were unique from the day I met you Penny. Do you know how my sight works Penny?" Ruby asked.

"The Third Eye Program paved the way for alternative sight. Subjects of the program, through the use of their aura, are able to see aura, dust, and grimm." Penny recited.

"Exactly, and do you know what I see in you Penny? First and foremost, I see you, your aura. Not any dust running through you. You're real Penny, your aura is physical proof of that." Ruby reassured.

"Oh, thank you Ruby!" Penny shouted as she wrapped Ruby in a tight hug.

"Still incredibly strong!" Ruby struggled as Penny crushed her in the hug.

"Oh, sorry friend Ruby." Penny apologized as she let go.

"So, were those Atlas soldiers guarding you or something?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, my father wanted me to come to Vale for the tournament, so I could learn. Ironwood doesn't think I'm ready though." Penny explained.

"Why would Ironwood need to think you're ready, we're in a time of peace. The Atlesian Knights have gone through so many improvements since they were created." Ruby reasoned.

"That's not what Ironwood said. He said that-" Penny was cut off as two soldiers came running through the alleys. "You need to hide." Was all Penny said before lifting Ruby and dropping her into a dumpster.

"Where is the other girl Penny?" One of the soldiers asked.

"What other girl? I've been alone all day." Penny lied.

"You need to be more careful, now let me see your hands." The other one ordered. After seeing the damage, he continued. "Your father won't be happy about this."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause a scene." Penny apologized.

"Come on, Ironwood needs to hear about this." The first soldier ordered as he started walking out of the alley.

Ruby waited for the sound of footsteps to disappear before she picked herself out of the dumpster. Opening her scroll to check the time, Ruby was surprised by a call.

"HEEEEELLLLLLPPP!" Sun screamed into the scroll.

"Torchwick has an Atlesian mech! He's chasing us through Vale!" Blake further explained.

"We're leading him towards the elevated roads! Hurry!" Sun shouted over the scroll before he cut the line.

"Learning Penny is a robot, Roman in a mech, today is getting more and more fun!" Ruby pumped her fist before running for the roads.

 _*Yang and Neptune*_

"Are you going to shoot or not?" Yang asked as she weaved through traffic.

"I'm trying to! But it's hard to get a stable shot!" Neptune defended as he held on for dear life. Eventually Yang was able to provide a stable ride for Neptune. Sun watched as Neptune fired shot after shot, trying to slow down the mech. Blake and Yang watched as the two guys leapt for the mech, intent on stopping it. Their victory was short lived as they were both thrown through the safety barriers.

"Well now what?" Blake asked as she leapt onto Yang's bike. As if to answer question, Weiss dropped onto the road, freezing it. With no time to avoid the sheet of ice, the mech tumbled off the road. The three members of team RWBY followed the mech down, weapons drawn. Suddenly, a red blur flew from behind the mech towards them.

"Sorry I'm late, I tripped over a bench." Ruby apologized sheepishly.

"Better late than never, now come on, we have a mech to fight!" Yang shouted, itching for a fight.

"Right, Weiss, Yang, freezerburn! Blake, ladybug!" Ruby ordered. As her and Blake dropped back, Weiss created a sheet of ice, as Yang dropped a flaming fist onto it, creating a thick haze. As Roman searched the makeshift battlefield with the sensor arrays, the mech rocked back and forth as Ruby and Blake slashed at the legs. A swipe from the mech's arm sent Ruby back. With the students away from him, Roman launched a volley of missiles.

"Weiss, checkmate!" Ruby shouted. At the order, Weiss set a time dilation glyph underneath Blake. With the glyph under her, Blake immediately slashed the missiles out of the air, with a final slash aimed at the mechs shoulder joint.

"Yang, now!" Ruby ordered. Yang jumped at the mech, intent on tearing Roman out of the cockpit. Smashing her fist into the armor, Yang was caught off guard as Roman suddenly backed the mech into a concrete support. Before anyone could help Yang, Roman turned around, driving a robotic fist into Yang, destroying the pillar.

"Yang!" Blake shouted in worry.

"Don't worry, with every hit she takes, she get's stronger, and then uses that to fight back, that's her semblance." Ruby explained as Yang slowly stood, eyes blood red and hair glowing. They watched as Roman attempted to drive the mech's fist into Yang, only for it to stop in Yang's hand. Before Roman could pull back, Yang shot her fist forward, destroying the mech's last arm.

"Persistent little shits." Roman muttered to himself. Kicking Yang away from himself, Roman readied guard against whatever team RWBY threw at him.

"Bumblebee!" Ruby shouted. Throwing her sword, Blake caught Yang and began to swing her around. Each pass missed as Roman dodged, the mech surprisingly nimble.

"It's too fast, we need to slow it down!" Weiss observed. Ruby's reaction was instant.

"Ice flower!" Ruby ordered. Opening her scythe to its full form, Ruby planted the tip of the blade as a glyph appeared in front of her. Firing shot after shot, Ruby smiled as the dust exploded into ice. With a final swing, Yang smashed into the side of the mech, destroying it completely. Roman tumbled as the mech fell apart around him.

"I just had the coat dry cleaned." He complained as he stood up. Before he could say anything else, a shot from Ember Celica was streaking towards him. Right before it would have hit him, a small form dropped in front of him.

"Well Neo, you took your time. Ladies, Ice Queen, it has been a fun night." Roman spoke as the ice cream themed girl bowed. Charging the pair, Yang was ready to pummel them both into the ground, however the moment she made contact with the ice cream themed girl, the criminal duo shattered like glass. Soon after, the sound of a bullhead taking off drew their attention to the sky, revealing the duo escaping.

"I guess she made our plans, fall apart?" Weiss asked, trying to make the situation seem less severe.

"No. Just, no." Was all she was met with from Yang.

"Was it not a good time?" Weiss asked.

"No, it just wasn't very good." Blake shot her down.

"At least I'm trying!" Weiss defended.

"Come on, let's get back to Beacon before the authorities show up, we can't exactly explain this one." Ruby said as sirens filled the quiet night.

 _*Beacon*_

With Ruby being their guide, team RWBY managed to avoid anyone who would possibly question them about their activities. With their door shut and locked for the night, they all sighed in relief.

"If I told my father that I was led around campus by a blind woman, he would have me checked for brain damage." Weiss commented.

"Yeah, but I got us home undetected, didn't I?" Ruby asked.

"Now I'm starting to reconsider just how innocent you were when we were younger." Yang started.

"You have no proof of anything sis." Ruby defended.

"Weiss, do you want any help going through the reports?" Blake asked, turning the conversation back to the issue at hand.

"That would be helpful Blake, we'll start tomorrow, I for one, am incredibly tired." Weiss excused herself before shutting herself in the bathroom.

"You two can go before me, I'm going to have a listen to some messages on my scroll." Ruby dismissed her last two teammates. Pulling out her headphones as she sat at a desk, she waited for the chime signifying the headphones connected. Swiping through her scroll and listening to what the different apps were. Landing on her messenger, Ruby opened it.

"Three new messages from a new contact, playing oldest message now." The robotic voice explained before playing the message.

"Hello Ruby, it's me, Arslan. I was wondering if you would be available to show me around, to the best of your ability of course." Her scroll read to her.

'Tomorrow would probably work. Next one.' Ruby tapped her screen.

"Hey, Arslan again, I heard you have entire lectures recorded. I was wondering if I could borrow some of them at some point, I would be incredibly grateful." The second message ended.

'I could probably loan one or two to her, depends on what happens in classes.' Ruby continued on to the last message.

"Hey, this is Bolin, Arslan's partner. I wanted to apologize for my poor choice of words when we met. Anyways, I'm hoping you're not the type to hold a grudge, see you in class." Ruby let out a small chuckle at the unintentional joke. Adding the two members of team ABRN to her contacts, Ruby noticed that the bathroom was now free. Quickly getting changed, Ruby hopped into her bed, ready for the next day.

 **AN/ And that's a chapter! I'm hoping my combat is getting better, any tips would be appreciated. So, as I said, class starts this week, specifically tomorrow. I'm starting on C.A.D. programs, so my degree is closing in, and hopefully while I'm doing that, I'll have the needed time to write. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Back again with a new chapter! So, with the episode that's now out for everyone, I can now point this out without angering anyone. So, if you need another example of what Ruby looks like with her shata, essentially just think of Adam, and that's basically what you get. Certainly, wasn't expecting to see that, but still. Anyways, no major announcements, so on we go!**

Ruby hated her luck. Not only was she bedridden again with a migraine, from what little she could gather, Blake was having a bit of an episode as well. Thankfully though, classes were kept relatively light today, so as to see where the visiting students stood in their lectures.

"I still think we should try and press Blake and see what the matter is." Weiss said quietly as she dropped off Ruby's food.

"No, it will only make things worse. Now can we please discuss this tomorrow?" Ruby growled quietly. She understood where Weiss was coming from, and incapacitated or not, it was still Ruby's job to make sure her team functioned at their peak.

"Sorry. And you're right, it's just that, she promised to come to us with any issues she had. Look, Yang and I have to help prepare the dance starting tomorrow, come with us and we'll talk, now take it easy, we've made sure that the exchange students won't be noisy coming through here." Weiss said gently as she stood up.

"Thanks for lunch Weiss, sorry to take up your time." Ruby apologized weakly.

"it's no issue, now rest." Weiss ordered as she left. Sighing, Weiss left to meet with the rest of her team.

"Hey Weiss, how's Ruby doing?" Neptune asked as he walked beside her.

"She's bedridden with the worst headache you could imagine, how do you think she's doing?" Weiss responded in a biting tone. He was a genuinely nice guy, but sometimes he could be a little too dense for her liking.

"Right, sorry, you did explain it to me already." Neptune said as he looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound angry, it's just that between Blake, the dance, and now having to make sure people don't disturb Ruby, today has just been exhausting, and it's only lunch." Weiss explained with a sigh.

"While I can't vouch for Shade, Mistral will respect whatever you say, so long as there is a good reason behind it." Neptune offered with a smile. Weiss was thankful for Neptune, he was almost exactly what she wanted in a partner. Intelligent, good looking and sophisticated without the pompous attitude.

"Atlas students have stayed away from our building entirely. I guess she has some friends from Atlas." Weiss added. Their trip was short as they quickly found themselves surrounded by the voices of fours different student bodies mixed into one dull roar.

"She still look like death?" Yang asked as Weiss sat down between her and Blake.

"A bit more color compared to last time, but yes, she looks like death." Weiss responded.

"So, one of the Haven students came by while you were away, said she was looking for Ruby." Yang started.

"Did she now? What did she look like?" Weiss asked, noticing Sun and Neptune's stares directed to herself.

"About average height, dark skin, blonde hair, said her name was Arslan." Yang explained.

"Remember when Ruby said she ran into someone when we were looking for Blake?" Weiss started as Yang nodded. "Yeah, that was her leader, who she ran into, literally, when we were getting our dresses."

"Oh boy, if Arslan is looking for Ruby, that's just gold." Sun said with a laugh.

"And why is that?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Because team ABRN is a very competitive team, while also being one of the most dysfunctional teams at Haven." Neptune explained.

"How so?" Yang asked.

"Arslan prides herself on her adaptability and is a heavy hitter, however her team is a bit of an odd balance. They work well together until something goes wrong, then it's basically momma Arslan trying to herd her kids, except her kids are like hyperactive cats." Sun added.

"Isn't it a bit unfair that you're giving us information we can use against them?" Pyrrha asked.

"Nah, I got ten lien here in my pocket that says she already looked up what she could about all eight of you." Sun said confidently.

"Like I said, very competitive." Neptune said, backing up his friend.

"Huh, why isn't Weiss doing that?" Nora asked jokingly, earning a cold glare from the heiress.

"Ren, could you please invest in a muzzle, or something that would help keep Nora from irritating me?" Weiss asked with a sigh as Nora only responded with a wide smile.

"I believe that is against the rules, something I believe if you broke, you would begin to melt." The table grew silent at one of the rarest sights at Beacon, a joke from Ren.

"I'd ask if you need some ice for that burn, but I think you've got it covered." Sun added, causing everyone to try to hold their laughter.

"Sometimes I wonder how I'm friends with any of you." Wiess growled as she slumped forward, hiding her face against the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Blake hadn't responded to anything that was said, focusing on her book alone. After the jokes at her expense, the topics shifted around.

"You guys were seriously launched off a cliff?! How is that even legal?" Sun asked, shocked.

"Isn't that normal? What did professor Lionheart do for your initiation?" Jaune asked.

"A skills test. We had to complete a set of tasks and that was how we were grouped up, partners came afterwards during the ceremony." Neptune explained.

"We were launched off a cliff, told that the first person we made eye contact with was our partner, and had to collect relics. Oh, and the relics decided your team." Nora explained merrily.

"She forgot to mention that we weren't just launched off a cliff, we were launched off a cliff and into a grimm infested forest." Yang deadpanned.

"Is your headmaster sane?" Sun asked, seriously.

"We have the video of us killing a nevermore by decapitation." Blake said monotonously without looking up from her book.

"Or do you want the deathstalker we threw into a ravine?" Jaune asked.

"I hope we never have to fight Beacon students in the tournament, I'd rather fight Atlas now." Sun said, looking at his new friends.

"Speaking of, have you seen Sage or Scarlett? They were supposed to meet us here." Neptune asked, looking around the cafeteria.

"It's the end of lunch, if they aren't here, then they'll meet us in class. If they still don't show up, I'll ask Ozpin about those launch pads." Sun half joked as students began to file out of the cafeteria.

"Come on, today should be fairly easy, no reason to dread class, especially Ports." Weiss said as she stood up.

"Yeah, about that, are the rumors about him true?" Neptune asked nervously.

"He's not that bad, but I would pop some caffeine pills if coffee isn't your thing." Weiss warned as Yang made a face that contradicted Weiss's statement.

"Right, well, we'll see you around, let us know if anything comes up." Sun said as he and Neptune left.

"How come we haven't made any friends from the other schools?" Nora asked, jealous of team RWBY's luck with the exchange students.

"Because Nora, we haven't had a chance to try and get to know any of them." Jaune explained as team JNPR tried to coral the hammer wielding madwoman.

"Now that they're all gone, I wanted to ask you something Yang." Weiss started as they made their way to professor Peach's class.

"What's up Ice Queen?" Yang responded.

"I was wondering, do you think last nights events caused Ruby's migraine?" Weiss asked.

"It's entirely possible, but I can't say for certain. If I'm being entirely honest, it was about time for her next sick day." Yang reasoned.

"That's fair. I'm just trying to understand as much as I can about this. My name might hold weight, but I can't get access to military files, so I can't exactly go to the source for answers." Weiss explained.

"No, I understand, but I'm kinda surprised you can't get much on it, considering it's not even a military program. Sponsored by, maybe, but its hardly a super soldier program or anything like that." Yang responded, surprised by the admittance.

"Wouldn't you have access to the necessary files Yang?" Blake offered lazily.

"I wouldn't, I'm not her parent or guardian. But our dad might." Yang explained.

"If it's too much of a hassle, then don't worry about it, I can just ask Ruby when she's not suffering." Weiss said, ending the conversation. Entering the classroom, they each took their respective seats. Soon after, professor Peach entered.

"Is Ruby not going to be here today?" She asked, noticing the empty seat beside Weiss.

"Sadly no, professor. Another headache." Weiss explained shortly.

"A shame, she would have enjoyed today. Anyways, welcome everyone, especially students visiting from the other kingdoms. My name is professor Peach, and welcome to dust studies."

 _*Later That Day*_

"Man, if it weren't for attendance, we could have sat out all day!" Yang complained as she led her team up the stairs.

"Suggest that again Yang, and I will personally end you." Weiss threatened. Quieting down as they reached their door, Weiss slowly unlocked and opened the door.

"Hey guys, how was class?" Ruby asked weakly.

"You didn't miss a thing, aside from Peach showing off some dust." Yang explained quietly as she stepped quietly around the room.

"I like her presentations, they're always so much fun." Ruby said with a smile.

"Need some pills or no?" Yang asked, careful to avoid her other teammates as they prepared themselves for an early night.

"Please? I haven't been tired at all today." Ruby asked, grimacing slightly.

"I'll get them, I'm almost there." Weiss said, stepping into the bathroom. Ruby smiled. Thankful that she had teammates so readily available to help her. Feeling Weiss's hand on her shoulder, Ruby held out her hands.

"Thanks Weiss, you're the best." Ruby thanked before swallowing the pill that was dropped into her hand, chasing it with the glass of water she was supplied.

"Not a problem. Now sleep, we've got things to do tomorrow." Weiss all but ordered.

"Night." Ruby said before turning over. With the rest of team RWBY following suit, silence fell over the dorm.

 _*The Next Day*_

"So, what should we do about Blake? She was up late last night and woke up before any of us." Weiss started as her and Yang began to take inventory of what was started and what was planned.

"If she doesn't come to us soon, then we'll push, but this is something she has to be willing to work on. We can't just force her to stop, she'll just work herself harder." Ruby reasoned.

"I understand Ruby, but at this rate her grades and her health will start to suffer. And Despite the fact that we made up, I doubt she'll listen to me." Weiss shot back.

"I'm between you two. We have to do something before Blake starts to hurt herself, but Ruby's right, we can't just force her to stop, especially if she really has set her mind to it." Yang said, standing between the partners.

"So, what should we do? We're in agreement that something needs to be done, but what?" Ruby asked, looking towards her teammates. All of them jumped when a new voice spoke up.

"If I may, it sounds like you three are having trouble with a teammate." Ozpin spoke up, smiling softly as three faces turned towards him.

"How did you sneak up on me?!" Ruby shrieked, trying to catch her breath.

"Consider it a talent of mine, miss Rose. Now please, if there is an issue with my students, I would very much like to help." Ozpin asked.

"It's Blake, she's starting to focus too much on something, and we aren't sure how to get her to stop." Ruby explained, leaving out certain parts.

"Why should she stop entirely? From the sound of it, she has deemed this something important enough to worry about." Ozpin asked.

"That's the thing, it all started as a small worry for her, and then it just kind of, exploded into more." Yang explained.

"If memory serves me correctly miss Xiao Long, you know a thing or two about obsessing over an issue." Ozpin said. Weiss watched as Yang looked at her feet, ashamed of something.

"What does he mean?" Weiss asked, looking to the sisters.

"I'll explain later Weiss. But professor, this situation doesn't have a chance of something like that happening, she isn't reckless enough." Yang said defensively.

"And I wasn't implying you either of you were. We all make mistakes, and we should all hopefully learn from them. However, sometimes we watch people walk a similar path that we once did, and if the outcome is less than favorable, we should try to share perspective. I do hope you can solve the problems laid out ahead of you, and please remember, the staff here will always be ready to help, should you ask." Ozpin said, turning towards the door. Once the headmaster was out of the room, Yang sighed in relief.

"Weiss, can you handle planning tomorrow? I know how to help Blake." Yang asked.

"I suppose I can. We'll still be looking at what team CFVY was able to come up with." Weiss explained, excusing Yang for tomorrow.

"Awesome, Ruby, you're free to go do whatever, we got this." Yang shooed her leader away.

"Not like I can spoil anything I see here anyways. Good luck you two!" Ruby said as she found her way to the door. Stepping out into the hall, Ruby was surprised to see so many students walking through.

"Ruby! There you are!"

 **AN/ And done! So, I was thinking things through, and this story is going to be just a bit more AU than originally planned. Originally, I was going to extend this well into volume 5, but then I got to thinking that it would never end at that point, and some of the things I've written in wouldn't work with the canon storyline. Don't worry, this won't change anything that has happened, or that I wanted to happen, it's just not going to be 50+ chapters and covering an entire AU of the canon story. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/Nani?! Two chapters in a week? So, this was supposed to be out much earlier today, but between having forgotten my lunch and having an issue that caused me to lose all 1800 words in a nearly completed chapter, yeah, that didn't happen as it was supposed to. I'm currently transcribing from pictures on my phone, so I hope you appreciate this. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

"Ruby! There you are!" A female voice shouted at the cloaked girl. Ruby's face lit up in excitement when she recognized the owner of the voice.

"Neon! Flynt! I was hoping I would see you guys again!" Ruby shouted in surprise as she was wrapped in a hug by the cat faunus.

"We heard you got into Beacon early, wish we could've talked before the school year started." Flynt said coolly.

"Yeah, it was kinda last minute. How have you guys been? Ciel still got that stick up her ass?" Ruby joked.

"If it's possible, it's up there further. Her teammate is this ginger girl named Penny, and she's been even more rigid ever since being put on a team with her." Neon explained.

"Oh, I've met Penny already. She's really on a team with Ciel?" Ruby asked.

"trust me, we know. How have things been with you?" Flynt asked, gesturing for Ruby to follow.

"Stressful. I got made team leader, and that started about as well as you would expect. Two migraines and a bottled-up supply of blind jokes. On top of that, I've been seeing something I can't quite explain." Ruby explained as Neon began walking circles around them.

"Like, with your aura sight or whatever?" Neon asked.

"Yes, with my aura sight." Ruby deadpanned. "I was doing some exercises in the woods with some friends, and their aura changed. Not in shape, or anything like that, but it looked different."

"Hm, well I heard Winter may or may not be coming by during the tournament, but you didn't hear that from me. Perhaps she can help you out?" Flynt asked.

"Considering I'm sending that report tomorrow, she'll have to. I'm having trouble describing it." Ruby whined.

"So, who's on your team short stack? I'm dying to know who you've been tormenting." Neon asked.

"Don't call me that. And Yang is on my team, and so is Weiss Schnee, she's my partner. And then there's Yang's partner, Blake." Ruby rattled off, not bothering with further explanation.

"Weiss Schnee eh? And how has that been?" Flynt asked, annoyance seeping into his voice.

"Extremely helpful and understanding. Nothing like her father." Ruby said, already knowing where Flynt was going.

"Sorry Ruby, but I can barely bring myself to trust Winter, let alone the heiress of the company." Flynt apologized.

"I understand. Now, where are we going? I know you're not just leading me around so I can get lost again." Ruby joked.

"One time! And it wasn't even on purpose!" Neon defended.

"And yet general Ironwood was very unhappy when he heard that a blind girl had wound up lost in the armory." Ruby said with a serious tone to hide her mocking.

"Yeah, yeah. We were actually wondering if you had any tips for grimm studies. Neon and I could barely focus." Flynt asked.

"Caffeine and a partner that can nitpick entire lectures. I've made so much lien off of selling our notes for that class." Ruby admitted.

"Wow, look at you Ruby, already exploiting your classmates, next thing you know you'll start exploiting the transfer students for slave labor." Neon joked.

"Nah, don't have it in me. And Neon, can you please stop walking circles around us? I get you like to keep a rhythm, but I don't feel like tripping over you." Ruby complained.

"Fine, stick in the mud." Neon groaned as she fell in step beside Ruby.

"So, have you met any of the students from the other academies?" Ruby asked.

"We met some other Beacon students. Bunch of jerks if you ask me. Also met one of the Shade teams." Flynt replied.

"Yeah, that's team CRDL, they're a bunch of bullies. They're also on thin ice with right now with miss Goodwitch." Ruby explained.

"So, I've heard. How about you? Who have you met?" Neon asked.

"Aside from Penny? Only Haven teams so far. But one of them kinda rubs me the wrong way, and I haven't even interacted with them directly." Ruby admitted.

"maybe they're like team CRDL? That or they really don't like to socialize. Who knows, maybe you should try to get to know them." Flynt offered.

"Maybe, now if you'll excuse me, I need to find one of those Haven teams." Ruby dismissed herself.

"Haven's dorms are a straight shot to your left." Flynt said as he waved. As she turned around, Ruby sighed, feeling the breeze push through her cloak.

"Alright, just gotta find Arslan, then I'll find the rest of them."

 _*Blake*_

Tired. That's all Blake could express right now. No matter how much tea she drank, she just felt sluggish. Sighing for the millionth time that day, Blake shut her book in frustration as images of the White Fang danced across her mind.

"Blake? Blake!" Blake sighed, knowing that Yang wouldn't stop until she revealed her hiding spot.

"I'm up here Yang." Blake replied, lacking any enthusiasm or excitement.

"Hey, can we talk for a second? Somewhere private?" Yang asked gently, a surprising change from her usual mannerisms.

"Sure, I guess. Lead the way." Blake replied, hopping down from the tree she had taken refuge in. Yang smiled before leading the way. Noticing that she was being led to the gardens, Blake was about to speak up, but Yang beat her to it.

"We're worried about you Blake, I just want you to talk to me, ok?" Yang offered. Blake narrowed her eyes. Of course, Yang was going to try and play therapist.

"You shouldn't be worried about me, you should be worried about the White Fang!" Blake countered, still following Yang. Suddenly, Yang stopped in a small clearing, surrounded by roses.

"This is a secret part of Beacon's gardens, nobody will bother us. Now talk, what has you so worked up over this? More than us, anyways." Yang asked as she sat down in the grass, motioning for Blake to do the same.

"Because something big is happening, and I seem to be the only one sufficiently worried about it!" Blake shouted back, refusing the offer to sit.

"But you're not, Blake. We all want to stop them, really, we do, but you're starting to let this take over your life. I can tell you're tired, how much longer until you stop eating, grades start to drop?" Yang asked. "Can I tell you a story? Or are you going to yell at your partner for trying to help?"

"I guess." Blake replied, guilt and shame dancing across her face.

"When I was younger, I had to take care of Ruby after her mom died. Our dad was too heart broken and our uncle wasn't around often enough." Yang started.

"Wait, aren't you two sisters though?" Blake asked.

"Same dad, different mothers. My mom left us shortly after I was born. As soon as she could I was told. But I wanted to know why she abandoned us, so I made it my mission to find her, and make her tell me why." Yang explained.

"Yang, I'm sorry that happened, but how does that relate to a literal terrorist organization?" Blake asked, interrupting the blonde.

"Because when I got the first little bit of information, I obsessed over it. I made it my life. I was seven, when I did this, I waited until our dad left the house. Once he was gone, I put Ruby in a wagon, and pulled out the picture I found. It was of an old house. I left quickly, I just had to know." Yang explained. Noting Blake's attention, Yang continued.

"I set off into the woods, Ruby in tow, ready to find my mother. I had been walking for what felt like hours. Eventually I found the house, and I felt anger. It was a dead end, abandoned for what must have been years. I was exhausted, and as if to play some cruel trick, grimm began to growl from inside. We should have been dead, because I rushed at the chance to learn something." Yang finished, noticing Blake wanted to say something.

"Yang, I'm sorry that happened, I really am, but I don't see how this applies to the White Fang." Blake argued.

"Because the only reason Ruby and I are alive, is because my uncle noticed me walking into the woods and followed us! We should have been dead! And if you keep it up like this, you will end up like Ruby and I should have been. We don't want you to stop, but you're pushing too hard, we can't lose you." Yang argued back, her eyes going from red to lilac. Blake was shocked, Yang never blew up on anyone like that.

"Yang, I'm sorry. This, it hits so close to home for me, you understand what that means. But, if I've been worrying all of you, then I guess I do need to slow down." Blake apologized.

"That's all I ask. Now come on, the dance is in a few weeks, we need dresses, and you need to ask monkey boy out."

 _*Ruby*_

"Excuse me, but have any of you seen Arslan anywhere?" Ruby asked a small group of Haven students.

"I haven't seen Arslan, but I saw Reese just a little while ago heading up to their room. Honestly I haven't seen any of them all day." He admitted.

"Thanks, what's their room number?" Ruby asked.

"Two fourteen." Another student spoke up.

"Thank you!" Ruby called back as she turned towards the nearest wall, running her hand across the hall as she walked. Feeling for the plates on the wall, Ruby ignored the odd stares she could feel. Finding the first one, Ruby frowned as her hands ghosted over the braille, reading common room. Ruby continued forward, feeling three other plates, frowning at each one not being the one she needed.

"Stupid dorms not having the same layout." Ruby muttered to herself before reading the one she was looking for. Stepping up the stair slowly, Ruby could see one of the few people she didn't want to see. Cresting the stairs, Ruby's blood turned cold.

"Oh, hello. Need some help?" The woman asked, her voice as regal as ever.

"I wouldn't mind some help, can you point which direction two fourteen is?" Ruby asked.

"Of course, it's just that way, to you left, halfway down the hall. My name is Cinder by the way." Cinder offered her hand.

"Ruby, nice to meet you." Ruby introduced herself, shaking her hand. Ruby couldn't shake the feeling of dread that filled her at the contact.

"Well, you should be off, wouldn't want to keep your new friends waiting." Cinder said, dismissing Ruby.

"Right, sorry to hold you up." Ruby apologized before turning down the hall. Feeling for the plates again, Ruby was annoyed to be reading only odd numbers. Looking for any familiar aura, Ruby saw one that felt like she had seen it somewhere before. Running towards it, Ruby sighed in relief as she ran her hand over door plate, reading two fourteen. Knocking, Ruby was suddenly overcome with a sense of nervousness. Ruby watched as the figure in the room opened the door.

"Oh, hello, Ruby, right?" Reese asked as she saw Ruby on the other side of the door.

"Yeah, Reese, right? I was looking for Arslan, have you seen her?" Ruby asked as Reese stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, the rest of my team wanted to explore the forest around Beacon, Arslan especially, want to hang out with me until they get back?" Reese asked.

"Sure, I was going to drop off some old lectures for Arslan, but I have time to kill." Ruby agreed, not knowing just what Reese had in store for her.

 **AN/ And that's a wrap! What's Reese gonna do? Something funny? Also, I managed to get everything written back down in record time, so yay for that. So, a little announcement, Broken Mind will be making a comeback after this story and Street Gem are finished. I have a new game plan, and I will be restarting it from scratch and changing a few things. Hopefully it goes better this time around. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and with an extra hour and a half to write today, might even work on Street Gem today if I can finish this chapter in a timely manner. Who's ready for some interaction? Cause I am. Also, I want to address a review, namely Kharaki Takan. Cinder doesn't appear different, at least compared to how Ruby would see anyone else, but it will play in later. Anyways, onwards to the chapter!**

"So, Reese, what's Haven like?" Ruby asked as she followed the transfer student.

"Humid year-round, a lot of old traditions that don't make sense anymore and teachers that try too hard to make learning fun. What's Beacon like?" Reese asked in response.

"It's, interesting. You have professor Oobleck who seems to be one cup away from a coffee overdose at all times, professor Port who barely talks about a lesson, professor Peach is ok, very to the point about lectures, and professor Goodwitch, let's just say she'll throw you into a wall if she feels you deserve it." Ruby explained.

"Yikes. What'd she do after your little food fight?" Reese asked.

"Professor Ozpin actually stopped her from doing anything, weird I know." Ruby said with a laugh. Reese suddenly stopped before sitting down, patting the spot beside her. Following her lead, Ruby sat beside her.

"So, not that I'm doubting your skills our abilities, but how did you get here?" Reese asked, curious.

"If by getting into an academy, then you can thank Atlas. Otherwise I stopped Roman Torchwick during a robbery." Ruby said, waiting for Reese to clarify.

"But how do you fight without being able to see?" Reese asked, confused.

"My eyes don't work, but to say I can't see is untrue. I see in a different way, through aura. Using my aura, I can see any other aura within a certain distance, same with grimm and dust." Ruby explained, noticing Reese was about to start climbing over her for more information.

"So, wait, you can see me and all the other students around here?" Reese asked.

"Yep, but not the bench we're on, or your clothes." Ruby added as a joke. Watching as Reese looked down and then covered her chest, Ruby laughed.

"You perv." Reese grumbled as Ruby continued to laugh.

"Oh please, it's hardly exciting. The only time I can notice another girl chest is through side boob, don't even get me started on seeing guys." Ruby said with a shudder, certain repressed memories threatening to resurface.

"Well, seems like your life was R rated most of the time. Any gossip you could toss my way? Seeing as how you have a free pass and bullshit detector built right in." Reese asked.

"I try to avoid even thinking about that Reese, not my thing. And you call me a perv." Ruby admitted before shooing the girl away. Noticing a now familiar yellow aura walking behind her, Ruby smiled.

"Reese, stop being a perv. Sorry to keep you waiting Ruby." Arslan apologized.

"Come on, why can't you let me have fun for once?" Reese whined.

"Last time you had fun our dorm was almost set on fire." Nadir deadpanned.

"I got those old lectures for you Arslan, if you want, I can hang around for a while and explain some things if I need to." Ruby offered as she stood up to face Arslan.

"I would enjoy that actually. You three are welcome to stay and listen if you want, I won't make you listen if you don't want to." Arslan said, dismissing her team.

"I want to go explore Vale a bit more, I'll be back before it gets too late." Reese dismissed herself before walking away.

"We were going to go spar, you two have fun." Bolin said as he and Nadir walked away as well.

"And then there were two. Come on, I know a quiet place that won't get us yelled at." Ruby said, pulling out her cane.

"Should I be worried that I'm being led by a blind girl?" Arslan asked.

"As long as you're not a lemming you'll be fine, now come on." Ruby said, pulling the other leader along.

"So, I'm sure Reese already grilled you about how you fight, but do you mind explaining it to me?" Arslan asked as she was led away from the small courtyard.

"Well, my eyes don't work, but I can still see with my aura. It allows me to see other aura, grimm and dust." Ruby explained as she ran her cane across the stone path.

"So, if the only things you can see are things with dust, or things that will try to attack you, how the hell do you use a sniper rifle?" Arslan asked, worried about the answer.

"You mean how do I hit anything? Pull up the news article that has my picture, the one about me getting accepted into Beacon." Ruby instructed.

"Alright, the one with your weapon, right?" Arslan asked as she pulled up the news article, thankful she had saved it.

"See what looks like a scope? That actually has a dust crystal in it. Two, to be exact. I just line them up over a target and there you go." Ruby explained, proud of her solution.

"That's amazing, Ruby. Perhaps we can spar some time? I'd like to see you in action." Arslan admitted.

"Maybe. Who knows, maybe we'll fight in the tournament." Ruby suggested happily.

"That is a possibility. So, I heard your teammates were planning the dance, how did that happen?" Arslan asked.

"My partner offered to after the original planners went on their mission. And, we should be there now!" Ruby announced as she felt for a brick wall.

"I didn't know Beacon had this much space. What is this a part of?" Arslan asked.

"Technically it's part of the gardens, but it's separate from the rest of the gardens. I like to come here if I need to be alone or do my exercises. None of my team knows about it." Ruby admitted.

"It's pretty." Arslan admitted as she looked around the small clearing, noticing varying flowers all around, with a small gazebo in the center.

"While I can't see the flowers, I know they're there. The scent calms me." Ruby added as she sat down on the grass.

"So which classes did you bring for me?" Arslan asked as she sat down across from the hooded girl.

"Grimm studies and history, arguably the two most difficult professor here." Ruby replied.

"Yeah, I kinda wish I had a warning about Port. Oh well, you said you explain what you needed to, right?" Arslan asked.

"Of course! I wouldn't be very welcoming if I didn't, now would I?" Ruby asked with a smile. Something about her smile sparked something within the blonde, the sincerity of what she said compounding the feeling.

 _*Hours Later*_

"How does anyone understand what professor Port is trying to say?" Arslan asked as she followed the red themed girl out of the garden.

"You get used to it, trust me. I enjoyed today, we should try to hang out more." Ruby suggested as she walked.

"I have to agree Ruby, today was fun. Thank you again for lending me your recordings, at the very least I have a new perspective of Beacon." Arslan admitted.

"Not a problem, now if you'll excuse me, I have some exercises I've been putting off for the last week. See you later Arslan!" Ruby called out as she walked away from the Haven leader.

"Enjoy the rest of your night Ruby!" Arslan called back. Ruby smiled the entire way back to her dorm. Walking up the stairs, she could feel the stares of the few students she passed, yet she ignored them, nothing could ruin the good mood she found herself in. As she approached her door, she noticed Weiss and Blake were in the room, but Yang was absent. Opening the door, watched as their attention was turned to her.

"Where's Yang? I figured she would be with at least one of you." Ruby asked.

"She went out to get us some ice cream, her treat she said." Blake explained, noticing how cheery Ruby seemed. Ruby never noticed Weiss give Blake a look, a silent order not to say anything about it.

"So where have you been all day?" Weiss asked.

"I met up with some friends from Atlas, then I spent the day with team ABRN." Ruby explained, her smile only growing wider at the mention of the other team.

"Right, well, tomorrow, Yang and Blake are taking the day to themselves, should we do anything tomorrow Ruby?" Weiss asked.

"I can hang out tomorrow, but don't you two have to plan the dance?" Ruby asked.

"Yang is already taking tomorrow off, and I finished most of what we had to start with on my own today. Coco was surprisingly simple in her planning." Weiss explained.

"I'm assuming Yang already talked to you Blake?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, she did. Like Weiss said, we're taking tomorrow off, spa day, if I remember right." Blake explained.

"Gotta get you looking good for Sun, now don't we?" Ruby asked teasingly. Ruby didn't need working eyes to know that Blake was blushing.

"I don't see why you're so embarrassed by it, we can all tell you're interested in him." Weiss pointed out.

"Besides, you struck gold, he's hung." Ruby added before disappearing into the bathroom laughing.

"RUBY!" Weiss shrieked.

"I don't even want to know how she knows that." Blake muttered as she hid her face in her arms.

"Ruby being nasty?" Yang asked as the door opened again.

"Yes, very much so. How does she?" Weiss asked.

"How does she see everything? We don't look like mannequins to her Weiss. The same way she could tell Blake was a faunus works with other bits of anatomy. Trust me, she hasn't ever been pure minded." Yang grimaced.

"Ice cream!" Ruby shouted as she left the bathroom, having changed into her pajamas.

"Nope, not until you apologize to Weiss and Blake." Yang threatened, holding a cup of cookies and cream hostage.

"I'm sorry." Ruby apologized.

"Just don't ever do it again, understood?" Weiss demanded.

"Fine, you're all boring." Ruby complained, snatching the bowl out of Yang's hands.

"Coconut for Weiss, and neapolitan for Blake." Yang announced, holding the bowls to their respective targets.

"Thanks Yang, you didn't have to." Blake said as she began to eat the cold treat.

"No, but I wanted to. So Ruby, where'd you go for the day?" Yang asked as she ate her own rocky road.

"I saw Flynt and Neon again today!" Ruby replied excitedly before shoveling more ice cream into her mouth.

"I haven't seen them in forever, it's been what, three years since I last saw them?" Yang asked.

"Something like that, now stop talking to me, I have ice cream!" Ruby ordered as she began to shovel more ice cream into her mouth. Weiss had barely started by the time Ruby managed to finish hers. Staring at her leader, Weiss was dumbfounded as Ruby all but avoided brain freeze.

"You are not normal." Was all Weiss said.

"Nah, it just means she doesn't have a brain to freeze." Yang joked.

"Oh ha, ha Yang, I think it's time to advance your material past third grade." Ruby shot back.

"Says the girl who has been avoiding her exercises." Yang said, effectively ending Ruby's response.

"Cheap shot Yang, cheap shot." Ruby grumbled as she sat on the floor.

"You two haven't been around when she's done her exercises, have you?" Yang asked.

"I can't say that I have." Weiss admitted.

"No, she usually runs off to wherever." Blake added.

"Right, hold on to your seats then." Yang warned. Ruby began to focus her aura, before letting it spill out, pushing out as far as she could. Yang motioned to her teammates to keep quiet as Ruby pulled her aura back in, refocusing it. Repeating the process once more, Ruby's face contorted into a frown as she pushed her aura out again. Pulling her aura in one last time, Ruby focused hard. Suddenly her aura exploded outward.

"What was that?" Weiss asked as Ruby relaxed her shoulders.

"That was her aura. It's always a trip the first time you experience that." Yang explained

"Yang, come here please." Ruby asked. Standing up and walking over to Ruby, Yang leaned down. Suddenly, Ruby's hand was over her face. "I know what it is now."

"And you had to put your hand over my face to figure it out?" Yang asked, amusement in her voice.

"Yang, I can make out facial features. I saw your mouth moving." Ruby said.

"Oh, well shit, they'll want to know that right away." Yang responded, shocked.

"Mind filling us in?" Weiss asked.

"What does Ruby mean?" Blake asked as well.

"What I see is a silhouette, no definition, just shape and a color. This, this has never happened, ever." Ruby explained.

"If I didn't have plans already, I would help you tomorrow with your report." Yang apologized.

"I can handle it, you two need to take your day to relax anyways." Weiss offered.

"Thanks Weiss, but are you sure you want to? It's kinda boring." Ruby warned.

"Nonsense, you think schoolwork is boring, it can't be that bad." Weiss waved off the concern.

"Whatever you say Weiss, now if you'll excuse me, it's late, and I'm tired." Ruby excused herself as she climbed into her bed.

"Yeah, it is kinda late. Night everyone." Yang said as she just flopped into her bed. Blake and Weiss prepared themselves for bed before slipping in themselves. Ruby however was still wide awake. Something was nagging at her. The Haven leader Cinder. Something about her felt wrong. It felt like she was in two places at once, but she wasn't. There was something under the school that appeared like her, but it wasn't her. Resolving to speak to Ozpin about the matter tomorrow, Ruby drifted off to sleep as Arslan crossed her mind.

 **AN/ And that's done! Ruby is starting to suspect something is wrong, Arslan is starting to feel something, and Ruby is progressing with her abilities. I can't wait for mountain Glenn, I have a whole plan for that, one that I hope you will all enjoy. Also, I'm going to start going into more detail about the Third Eye Program and its uses, I swear the more I try to explain, the more I'm left with to explain. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back! So, I want to bounce an idea off you guys, what would you think if I did a Monster Hunter AU for RWBY? It wouldn't be started until much, much later, as in not until after Street Gem, A Life in Darkness, Broken Mind and the Space AU were started/finished. I'm just trying to gauge interest for a story like that. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

"For the last time, no! Now go away!" Weiss shouted at Jaune, irritation written plainly across her face. As Jaune walked away in shame, the rest of the group turned towards the heiress.

"That was a little harsh Weiss." Ruby stated.

"All my life men have been after my body or my name, I refuse to see how Jaune is any different." Weiss huffed.

"And how do you know that's what Jaune is after?" Yang reasoned as Pyrrha joined the group, focused on the white themed girl.

"He started hitting on me during our first day!" Weiss defended.

"So, he's not exactly a lady killer, we get that, but come on, Jaune is really a nice guy!" Nora defended her leader.

"I'll handle this. Weiss, could we talk please? Somewhere private?" Pyrrha asked, giving the entire group a look that screamed 'Do not interfere.'

"I suppose, Pyrrha, lead the way." Weiss agreed, gesturing for Pyrrha to go ahead. Everyone watched nervously as the Invincible Girl lead Weiss away, unsure if they should prepare a funeral or not. Weiss followed in silence, wondering what Pyrrha would want to talk about. It was no secret that Pyrrha admired Jaune, no matter how she tried to hide it.

"Weiss, what do you know about Jaune?" Pyrrha suddenly asked, stopping in a secluded part of the library.

"He's a dunce of a leader with below average, yet still passing, academic marks, He's steadily improving as a fighter but is somehow a natural tactician, he comes from a long line of warriors and he forged his transcripts." Weiss rattled off, unsure of where Pyrrha was going.

"He's that and so much more Weiss. Remember our initiation? He didn't even know who I was until you mentioned that I was on a cereal box. He's turned down offers to buy him things he can't afford. He looks after each of us as if we were his family, a sentiment Ren and Nora appreciate more than he realizes." Pyrrha explained, noticing Weiss's expression soften at the explanation.

"But why tell me this? The entire school except him knows you have a crush on him." Weiss asked.

"I do, but his happiness is more important to me. If he wants you, I won't stand in his way. All I'm asking Weiss, one friend to another, that you give him one chance. If after that you still don't want to be with him, then I'll take him off your hands." Pyrrha offered.

"And what makes you so sure he would be happier with me than with you? You said it yourself, his happiness is important to you." Weiss reasoned.

"True, but you also need to experience happiness. Please, just give him one chance, that's all I ask." Pyrrha said before leaving, avoiding any further conversation. Weiss stood there, thinking Pyrrha's words over.

'I need to experience happiness too? I'm as happy as can be right now.' As if sensing her thoughts, her scroll began to ring. Frowning at the name displayed on the screen, Weiss let it go to voicemail.

 _*RWBY Dorm*_

"So Ruby, your dress should be here any day now, are you excited?" Yang asked as she prepared for her and Blake's day in Vale.

"A little. I'm still kinda nervous about the dance though." Ruby replied.

"There's nothing to worry about, just enjoy yourself. Oh, and the general says hello." Yang said, zipping up a small bag.

"I didn't realize general Ironwood was here, did you get to talk to him?" Ruby asked.

"No, he saw me and asked me to pass that along, you know how he is." Yang explained.

"How do you two know the general?" Weiss asked as she stepped into the room.

"Weiss! You're ok! We thought we were going to have to plan a funeral. Yang thought it would need to be closed casket." Ruby shouted in glee before hugging her partner.

"We didn't fight, she, explained a few things to me." Weiss explained quietly.

"Is Pyrrha going to finally admit her love to Vomit Boy?" Blake asked, looking up from her book.

"Not quite. She told me to give him a chance, and that if I still didn't enjoy his company, she would take him." Weiss said.

"And you're actually going to do it?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Yes, anything to get him off my back." Weiss responded, but Ruby wasn't convinced she hated the idea like she implied.

"Anyways, we have a report to write, and you two have a spa day. Let us know what time you start coming back, ok?" Ruby asked.

"Fine, mom." Yang joked before standing up.

"Ready to go?" Blake asked, bookmarking her page.

"Yep! Now come on, they get busy after lunch!" Yang said, pushing Blake out the door.

"Finally, they're gone." Ruby sighed with relief.

"I have to agree. So, what do I need to do? Am I essentially a glorified secretary while you tell me what to write?" Weiss asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Kinda? I'll tell you what to write, but you can add in anything you feel might be relevant to add, just, don't overdo it, ok?" Ruby explained as Weiss prepared herself. Giving Ruby a thumbs up, Weiss began to write.

 _*Three hours later*_

"I can't believe Yang is the one who usually does this for you." Weiss groaned as she massaged her left wrist.

"I know she seems like a ditz, but she really is smarter than you give her credit for." Ruby defended.

"Be that as it may, it's done. Also, neither of you answered my question form earlier." Weiss said, changing the conversation.

"Oh, right. Our uncle is friends with him, and he likes to come visit the program when he can. He's super nice to everyone!" Ruby explained cheerfully.

"You keep mentioning this program you're in, but you've never really explained it, at least not to me." Weiss said, hoping for an explanation.

"It's the Third Eye Program. It consists of people who were born blind or lost their sight to other natural reason. At a very base level, it's meant to help the visually impaired be more aware of their surroundings, however shortly after I joined, they found that members of the program are amazing at search and rescue, as well as trackers for grimm search and destroy." Ruby explained.

"So, what you're saying is that on a practical level it's meant to help you 'see' but on a specialized level you're glorified bloodhounds." Weiss deadpanned.

"That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. But that's not all, thanks to yours truly." Ruby boasted, looking proud of herself.

"Let me guess, combat?" Weiss asked, already knowing where Ruby was going with this.

"Yep! I'm the first combat subject in the program, started about the same age Yang did now that I think about it." Ruby explained, smiling at the memory.

"Missions start soon, think we'll get to see your talents in action?" Weiss asked, now curious to see Ruby truly in her element.

"Oh yeah, now if you'll excuse me, I need to run this to the general." Ruby dismissed herself, picking up the letter.

"Our dresses come in tomorrow, remember?" Weiss said as Ruby shut the door. Sighing, Weiss stood up from her chair, stretching. "And now, to pay a certain blond idiot a visit."

Walking along the path towards Ozpin's office, Ruby allowed her mind to wander. 'How do I even explain this to Ozpin? I don't even know what it means. And why is there something so far below the school, with someone in it no less?'

Looking towards the top of the tower, Ruby could see her headmaster and the general together. Steeling herself, Ruby used her semblance to clear the courtyard in record time. Thankful for the lack of students, Ruby entered the base of the tower.

"Oh, miss Rose, how can I help you?" Ozpins secretary asked, surprised to see any of the students.

"Can I speak to Ozpin and the general please? I have something for them." Ruby asked.

"Let me see if they're busy. Professor Ozpin? Miss Rose would like to speak to you and the general, shall I send her up?" She asked, speaking into the intercom.

"Of course, send her right up." Ozpin answered.

"And there you go. You can head right on up." The secretary dismissed cheerfully.

"Thank you." Ruby said as she stepped into the elevator. Feeling for the button to Ozpin's office, Ruby felt the elevator shutter before ascending. Looking down, Ruby saw that the person was now almost directly below her now. Shaking her head, Ruby tried to compose herself as the elevator reached the top. Slowing to a stop, the elevator dinged as the doors opened. Stepping out, Ruby was greeted with the scent of fresh coffee.

"Ah, miss Rose, you needed us for something?" Ozpin asked, offering a seat.

"Good afternoon professor, general. I have a report to deliver to you Ironwood." Ruby greeted respectfully.

"Ruby, you don't need to be so formal with me, but I do appreciate the sentiment. Any progress?" Ironwood asked.

"Yes, actually. I'm starting to see definition, I could see Yang's mouth moving the other night." Ruby explained.

"That's, quite unexpected. I've heard you're experiencing migraines a bit more often now, correct?" Ironwood asked as he accepted the letter.

"Kinda, I think it's just how much effort I've been putting into my time here." Ruby explained, avoiding mentioning the fight with Roman.

"I see. Watch yourself, and report any issues immediately, you've become the star of the program." Ironwood commended. "It was good to see both of you again, but if you'll excuse me, I have some business I must attend to."

"Of course, take care James. Now Ruby, you said you needed to speak to me as well?" Ozpin asked as Ironwood descended in the elevator.

"Yes, the other night, when I was doing my exercises, I saw something. Something below your office." Ruby started, not noticing Ozpin tense at the mention of his office.

"What exactly did you see?" Ozpin asked cautiously.

"I saw someone, in what I can only guess was a machine. But that's not all. One of the transfer students, their aura appears like whoever is down there, but it's also different, and scarily familiar." Ruby explained further.

"I can explain what is under my office at least. We are currently hiding a friend of mine, in intensive care. But you said that someone looks like them?" Ozpin asked, now curious.

"Yeah, she looks like your friend, but it's mixed with something else. And she looks so familiar, but I can't place where I would've seen her." Ruby spoke, confused by what she was seeing.

"Can you give me a name? Perhaps they are siblings, my friend did say she had a sister." Ozpin offered.

"Her name is Cinder, she's a student from Haven. That would explain why they look alike, but I feel something whenever she's near me, like she's out to get me." Ruby said, fear creeping into her voice.

"While I don't think you have any reason to be afraid of her, do keep in mind that some people build walls so they can keep from being hurt again, perhaps she doesn't want anyone to get close to her." Ozpin offered calmly.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for the advice professor!" Ruby thanked cheerfully.

"One more thing, miss Rose. If you could please keep what we discussed to yourself, my friend is in hiding, after all." Ozpin asked.

"Of course, professor, I understand." Ruby agreed as the elevator arrived. Waiting for the doors to close, Ozpin let out a sigh.

"Leo, how did they get passed you?"

 **AN/ And done! How is this going to affect Cinder's plans? Also, time for some WhiteKnight! Go ahead and try to purge me for heresy, I dare you, I'll just write some Rosewick if you try. No but seriously, I'm looking forward to future chapters, especially mountain Glenn, and the tournament, it's going to be fun. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and with a chapter that doesn't focus entirely on Ruby! That's a first, now isn't it? Anyways, seeing as how most of the reviews left regarding a specific pairing were not death threats, I will spare you all from a Rosewick story, because I am a merciful god. Only joking, but anyways, on to the chapter!**

Weiss was thankful for many things in her life so far. Her admittance to Beacon, the friends she has made on her team, her sister who always looked out for her. But this was a new kind of thankful. Standing in front of the fountain, Weiss had avoided her friends all day, and nobody seemed willing to talk to her while she waited.

"Sorry I'm late Weiss, I misplaced my shirt." Jaune apologized as he came to a halt beside Weiss.

"It's alright Jaune, I wasn't waiting that long. Do you remember our deal?" Weiss asked.

"That this is my only chance, and that if you still don't feel anything for me, I stop trying to ask you out." Jaune recited.

"Correct, though I do hope today will be enjoyable." Weiss commented as she started walking towards the airships.

"At the cost of my hoodie, I made sure of it, Arc's promise!" Jaune promised, lamenting the loss of his hoodie. Weiss had specified that while Jaune could plan whatever he felt appropriate, he had to wear something a bit more presentable than his hoodie and worn jeans. His current attire consisted of a fresh pair of jeans and a flannel shirt, buttoned up with rolled sleeves.

"While I could care less about your normal combat attire, it is relieving to see that you possess clothes with a bit of class." Weiss commented approvingly, her eyes caught by the light-yellow shirt.

"Just because I came from Mistral doesn't mean I only have ratty clothes Weiss." Jaune shot back defensively.

"And I didn't imply that you did. Keep in mind all I have ever seen you wear is your combat attire, uniform, and a rather, interesting, onesie." Weiss shot back.

"I'll have you know that I only had to wear that for the first night, my normal pajamas went missing." Jaune said, trying to defend himself.

"Someone stole your clothes? Why haven't you reported that to Ozpin?" Weiss asked.

"Not much the headmaster can do about my family. I have seven sister you know." Weiss was shocked.

"Seven sisters? How big is your family?" Weiss asked.

"Me, my parents, and then my sisters. I'm the second oldest out of us." Jaune admitted with a sigh.

"I can't imagine a family that large. I only have my parents, a brother and a sister." Weiss admitted as the airship slowly took off.

"No offense Weiss, but I'm pretty sure my family can't really be compared to yours. Regardless of size, your family is the richest in the world, my family is one of warriors and workers, I'm sure you could hire each and every one of them to be footrests if you wanted to." Jaune joked.

"My father or brother maybe, but not me. Tell me Jaune, what exactly do you see in me? Why pine for my affection?" Weiss asked, trying to keep Jaune focused purely on talking.

"Well, you're smart, you have an amazing voice, you're a talented fighter and you care about those close to you. Everyone has heard about how you help Ruby whenever she needs it. And there's so much more that I don't have time to list off." Jaune admitted, hoping Weiss would accept what he had said.

"I have to say Arc, I may have misjudged you. You have all day to impress me, your time starts now." Weiss said as the doors opened.

"I won't let you down Weiss, now come on, I have all day planned for us." Jaune said as he led Weiss out into Vale. Weiss had to admit that Jaune's attitude was infectious as she found herself smiling the same as him while they walked.

"So, what do you have in mind for us Jaune?" Weiss asked as they rounded a corner, a large park coming into view.

"Well, considering how you were likely raised and that I don't have a whole lot of money, I figured we could keep today simple, give you a nice change of pace. Back home I would always go hiking in the surrounding woods, so why not a walk in the park?" Jaune asked, hoping his first idea would hold up.

"A calming walk sounds enjoyable. Perhaps you could tell me a bit more about your family?" Weiss asked, ignoring the unintentional insult. She had to admit that Jaune may have been right, perhaps a simple date would be a good thing for her.

"Well, my father taught me the best he could when it came to life skills, though honestly I'm not sure how helpful they really are. My older sister Saphron lives in Argus where she and her wife work for the CCT tower. And then my mother, who could probably be a little less motherly." Jaune said as they began their walk.

"And what of your other siblings? Surely you must have stories about them." Weiss asked.

"Well, not entirely, at least not ones that need an entire night just to explain. Though the twins did almost burn down the house once. What about you? Any stories?" Jaune asked as he looked around, admiring the scenery before them.

"Nothing too entertaining I'm afraid. Most of my childhood was spent with tutors, I never really had a chance to truly bond with my family." Weiss admitted. Suddenly, an arm was draped around her shoulders as Jaune pulled her close.

"Well, you have us now. So, no more sad thoughts. Sorry I brought up your family, by the way, I guess I didn't realize everyone had a family quite like mine." Jaune apologized as he released the heiress from his half hug.

"It's nothing to apologize for, the media doesn't exactly cover our family life, you couldn't have known." Weiss assured him.

"Speaking of, wouldn't the media be hounding us right about now?" Jaune asked, worried.

"Not at all. Vale media is forbidden to harass or interview students without approval of the headmaster. That's why Ruby wasn't interviewed after she fought Torchwick." Weiss explained.

"And let me guess, that's one of the reasons you chose Beacon?" Jaune asked.

"One of them, yes. Vacuo doesn't have the issue of a vicious paparazzi, and Mistral doesn't have protections for its students. A sentiment I'm sure Pyrrha shares." Weiss explained further. Looking around as well, Weiss noticed a perfectly maintained garden. Noticing her gaze, Jaune began walking towards the flowers.

"And I thought Beacon's gardens were impressive." Jaune praised as he knelt down to inspect the flowers.

"Vale is a prime location for plant cultivation, though I'm surprised at the large variety they have here. Surely whoever tends to these gardens must have dedicated their life to it." Weiss praised.

"No kidding. I've only ever seen these while in Argus, though I could never remember their name." Jaune admitted as he inspected a purple flower.

"Ice lilies, if I recall. They're native to Atlas, so I can understand why you would have only seen them near Argus." Weiss agreed.

"they're beautiful, but still not the most beautiful thing to come out of Atlas." Jaune said, trying his luck.

"Flattering, though certainly not the first time I've heard that one. Keep trying and maybe you'll come up with an original." Weiss responded, unimpressed.

"Well, at least I found something we have in common, an appreciation for flowers. Now if only I could sing as well as I can play the guitar." Jaune joked.

"Try it and I walk off." Weiss threatened.

"Ok, moving on then. So, what do you usually do for fun?" Jaune asked, trying to regain what little ground he had made with Weiss.

"I hardly ever have time for fun, Jaune. If it's not schoolwork, then it's something for the SDC." Weiss deadpanned.

"Come on, there must be something you do that you enjoy." Jaune asked.

"Well, I always did enjoy ice skating, at least until my father tried to monetize that too." Weiss said, giving Jaune something to work with.

"Well, forget about him, today is about you and I. Though I do have to admit, it has been awhile since I've been ice skating." Jaune admitted sheepishly.

"You? Ice skating? Jaune, I've seen you fight." Weiss said, unsure if Jaune was being serious.

"Seven. Sisters. I can dance to just about anything, do hair AND makeup, as well as cook." Jaune boasted.

"Alright, prove it then, where is the nearest ice ring?" Weiss asked.

"Funny you should ask, follow me." Jaune said as he led Weiss out of the park. Weiss had to admit, the spark in Jaune's eye at the prospect of a challenge was rather enjoyable. He appeared ready to win, a sentiment Weiss shared. At the very least, Weiss would be friends with him after today. Soon after being led out of the park, Weiss found herself watching Jaune as he effortlessly skated around her.

"I admit defeat Jaune, you certainly do know your way around the ice." Weiss praised as Jaune lazily spun in place.

"I also unintentionally learned speed skating, though I don't enjoy it, bad memories and all that." Jaune spoke as he came to a stop in front of Weiss.

"You know, it's considered rude to not invite your date onto the ice with you." Weiss chastised as Jaune realized his mistake.

"Well then, would you accompany me for a dance then?" Jaune asked, holding out his hand.

"I would love to." Weiss said as she took the offered hand. Despite the lack of music, the pair found themselves following their own beat, as smooth gliding arcs brought them around the other skaters while Jaune led.

"I have to say Weiss, knowing that you ice skate, watching your movements in a fight makes more sense now." Jaune remarked as he gently spun Weiss.

"It was a natural fit, I was simply the most comfortable when I acted as if I was on ice." Weiss explained as she took Jaune's hand again. Gliding towards their belongings, Jaune's stomach rumbled.

"Early dinner?" Jaune asked, his face now a light red.

"I could eat, where did you have in mind?" Weiss asked.

"Well, I know a family diner not too far away, I'm a bit of a regular there." Jaune explained.

"Then I'll have to try it for myself." Weiss stated as she removed her skates. Weiss had to admit, outside of combat, Jaune was actually well put together, he lacked his usual clumsiness and showed so far that he truly did care.

"So, what would have to be your favorite food?" Jaune asked out of the blue, breaking Weiss from her thoughts. Thinking back to the various things she had tried, Weiss struggled to come up with a definitive answer.

"Hard to say really. I've had just about everything you could imagine served to me, though I must say that venison was always at least one of my favorites." Weiss offered, still thinking.

"It's been awhile since I've had venison, luckily for us though, venison is on the menu tonight, though I'm certain you'll have never had it quite like this." Jaune challenged.

"Bold words Arc, are you sure you want to put your faith in them?" Weiss shot back.

"I have more faith in that sentence than I do Nora around coffee." Jaune defended, suppressing a shudder at a particular memory.

"Then I'll trust your word." Weiss backed down from her challenge. As Jaune led the way to the diner, Weiss returned to her thoughts. 'Certainly, Pyrrha has been training him, perhaps I should offer to help as well? His academics need to improve, and Pyrrha would likely enjoy a day off or two.'

"So, Weiss, can I ask how I've done so far?" Jaune asked.

"While I would normally reserve judgement until after the date has concluded, I will admit, you have done better than expected." Weiss admitted, watching Jaune's reaction.

"Really? Well, I guess I was worried for nothing then." Jaune responded with a goofy smile.

"Dolt. Are we almost there?" Weiss asked, looking around for some form of restaurant.

"Actually, yes. Right through here." Jaune stopped as he grabbed a door.

"This is a diner?" Weiss asked, looking at the face of the building. It looked like a brick wall with doors put in.

"Trust me, the outside doesn't look like much, but it's what's inside that counts." Jaune explained as he opened the door. Peering inside, Weiss was surprised by what she saw. While they were in perhaps the nicest part of Vale, Weiss was expecting a cloud of cigarette smoke and a dingy bar. Instead she was greeted with a rather clean, professional looking restaurant. In the center however was a small garden of sorts underneath an open skylight.

"I must say, I am truly impressed." Weiss marveled.

"That's nothin', wait till you try the food! Jaune, where've ya been?" A waitress boomed as she appeared beside them.

"Good to see you too Maple, and did you forget that Beacon exists?" Jaune joked.

"Never mind that, who's the pretty lady? Your girlfriend?" Maple asked, turning her attention towards Weiss.

"No, not yet anyways. This is Weiss, one of my classmates. Weiss, this is Maple, an old friend I made back in Mistral." Jaune explained as he introduced the two.

"Pleasure to meet you Maple." Weiss spoke as she offered her hand. Instead she found herself wrapped in a hug that would've rivaled Yang's.

"You musta forgot that Mistrali people are huggers miss Schnee." Maple joked as she released Weiss.

"Can't say I've had that kind of experience." Weiss admitted as she straightened her outfit.

"No matter, c'mon now, let's get you two seated." Maple said as she plucked two menus from a stack. As the pair followed along, Weiss looked around, inspecting the rather large space that made up the restaurant. The furniture and design gave it all a rustic feeling, as if it was plucked from a small town and placed inside of another building.

"Impressive, right?" Jaune asked as he noticed Weiss looking at everything.

"It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Most of the furniture looks to be hand carved." Weiss marveled as Maple directed them to sit.

"Because it is, Jaune even helped with this table here." Maple remarked as she revealed Jaune's signature.

"We were all happy to help, not like it was even that difficult." Jaune said, trying to dismiss Maple.

"Well, I know what you'll have, but what can I get for you missy?" Maple asked.

"Water will do for me, thank you." Weiss responded.

"I'll be right back with those for ya, have fun!" Maple chimed as she walked away.

"Woodcarving?" Weiss asked.

"It wasn't even that much work, at least nothing to really take pride in. All I did was sand it smooth and stain it, nothing to write home about." Jaune defended.

"Are you trying to be humble Jaune? Because I don't mind hearing you talk about our skills." Weiss admitted, trying to get the blond to stop worrying.

"It's not that Weiss. If you used her definition of being able to do something well, I would sound like Mister Perfect from some rom-com. I just don't enjoy being blow out proportion. What I told you earlier is about all I'm actually proficient at the very least in." Jaune explained.

"I can understand that, now, what should I order?"

 **AN/ So I'm cutting this chapter off right here for a couple reasons. One, it's already fairly long, two, I want to see what you all think of the date so far, three, I've been having technical issues with my laptop last week that made writing impossible, such as my laptop disconnecting from the Wi-Fi and being unable to connect to anything, as well as word crashing, so this should have been out last week. So going back to the chapter, this will happen regardless, however I need to know what road I need to take to get there, so please, tell me how you think the date so far has gone, I will take everything into consideration. So until next time, have a great day!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and as I start writing this chapter, Tuesday of this current week, I have turned 21! If this chapter doesn't come out within the week, I'll put something in the second AN. Anyways, not much else to talk about, so let's get on with the chapter!**

Weiss had to admit, Jaune was right about the quality of the food. Never before had she eaten something so filling and delicious.

"So, another point for me then?" Jaune asked, a smile plastered on his face.

"Shut up. But yes, the food was amazing." Weiss let out a content sigh.

"So, not to sound like I'm desperate, but how did I do today?" Jaune asked, worry just barely creeping into his voice.

"You've earned yourself a date for the dance. However, I think I would enjoy a second date before I come to a full conclusion." Weiss offered with a small smile.

"I won't disappoint then, Arc's promise." Jaune swore, holding up his right hand.

"I see you two have finished, how'd ya enjoy the meal?" Maple asked, turning towards Weiss.

"Perhaps the best cut of venison I've ever had, pass my compliments to the chef." Weiss praised.

"Will do ma'am. Here's the bill, stay for as long as you like." Maple dismissed herself.

"So on to a different topic, have you noticed Ruby acting a little odd lately?" Jaune asked.

"Define being odd Jaune, this is Ruby we're talking about." Weiss said with a deadpan expression.

"Right, I don't know, a bit more distracted? I can't really place it." Jaune explained.

"In that case yes. When did you notice?" Weiss asked, curious.

"About a couple days after the Haven students arrived, why, do you have an idea?" Jaune asked.

"More or less. I think Ruby is daydreaming of a certain Haven team leader." Weiss stated.

"Really? I guess that would explain it." Jaune agreed.

"I'm still debating on whether I should get Nora involved, but that could go both ways." Weiss continued.

"No. One hundred percent no. Nora would probably scare her off if you got her involved. Also, matchmaker? You?" Jaune asked, dumbstruck.

"Call it paying off a favor she isn't aware of. That and it would probably do her a world of good." Weiss defended.

"Right, well if you need anything, just let me know and I'll help however I can. Now then, let's head back to Beacon, it's been a long day and it's time to relax." Jaune said, stretching as he stood up.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer, mister Arc."

 _*Beacon*_

"So Pyrrha, what exactly did you say to get Weiss to go on a date with Jaune?" Yang asked as she sat in the dorms common room.

"Simply that as long as she gave him a chance, I would be willing to take him if she still decided she didn't want to be with him." Pyrrha stated.

"Really? Why throw away your own happiness?" Ruby asked.

"Because Jaune was the first person to treat me as Pyrrha, not the Invincible Girl. My first true friend, and I wanted him to be happy, with or without me." Pyrrha explained.

"Pyrrha, you and I are going to hit up the town before the dance, no if's, and's or but's, got it?" Yang declared, not taking no for an answer.

"It's a deal, I suppose, though I don't understand why." Pyrrha agreed.

"You'll see." Yang sang as she quickly disappeared from her spot on the couch.

"Yang is an enigma sometimes. When you live with her, you grow used to her outbursts like that." Ruby said calmly, feeling the stares from the rest of team JNPR.

"It would seem that even Yang has her own mysteries then. Is this normal?" Ren asked, his voice as monotonous as ever.

"Kinda, she does this every once in a while, just roll with it, it ends better for everyone involved that way." Ruby offered.

"So Ruby, is there anyone you would like to go to the dance with? It is this weekend after all." Pyrrha asked, shifting the topic.

"I'm kinda being forced to go, so not really, but if someone were to ask me, I certainly wouldn't outright say no." Ruby replied.

"Not even that girl from Haven? What was her name?" Nora asked.

"Arslan, and like I said, if someone were to ask, I wouldn't say no. Besides, I just met her." Ruby said, reaffirming her point.

"And yet you've already spent a good amount of time with her. Ask her to the dance or I'll do it for you!" Nora challenged.

"Not your decision to make Nora, now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to catch up on." Ruby said dismissively as she fled the common room. Once she was out of sight, Ruby began to calm her beating heart.

'I just met her, so why is my heart racing at the thought of going to the dance with Arslan?' Ruby asked herself. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel something when she thought of the Haven student. Suddenly thoughts of the other girl began to fill her mind.

"Something on your mind Ruby?" Blake asked, scaring the younger girl.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Ruby shrieked.

"Then that's my answer, what's up? You can talk to us you know." Blake offered as Sun gave her a thumbs up.

"I'm just thinking about the dance is all." Ruby said, trying to keep her musings to herself.

"Ruby, I know we kinda just met, but even I can tell it's something big if we were able to sneak up on you." Sun countered. Noticing the tilt of Ruby's head, Blake explained.

"He read up on your whole, ability, we'll call it. But he's right, something's up." Blake said as blocked Ruby's path.

"Ok, I'm thinking about something Nora said, but that's it, I swear." Ruby let out a defeated sigh.

"Is it about having a date?" Blake prodded further. Ruby nodded her head.

"Are you waiting for someone to ask you? You can ask them if you'd like you know." Sun suggested.

"That's not it, I told Nora that I would be going alone, and she insisted I ask someone myself." Ruby explained, omitting who the topic was about.

"Well, Nora is rather straightforward. I'll talk to Ren if you'd like." Blake offered.

"No, it's not a problem, it just got me thinking is all." Ruby said, trying to keep her team out of her situation.

"If you say so, but we're here to talk if you need to. If anyone asks where I went, tell them I'm with Sun, ok?" Blake asked, stepping to the side.

"Not a problem, just keep out of trouble this time please." Ruby joked as she walked past. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruby resumed her thoughts as she walked aimlessly.

 _*Haven Dorm*_

"What has you in such a good mood?" Reese asked as she looked up from her scroll.

"What do you mean? Am I not allowed to enjoy myself?" Arslan asked.

"No, it's just that last time you got like this, we found out you signed us up for extra training." Nadir complained.

"Well then breathe easy, it doesn't involve any of you this time." Arslan shot back, not looking up from her scroll.

"But it involves someone else." Bolin stated.

"Maybe it does, so what?" Arslan defended.

"We just want to know if we need to prepare for an international incident, that's all." Reese joked.

"Oh, be quiet, all of you. I swear it's like I get no privacy in my life anymore." Arslan groaned, wishing for silence as she continued to read. Being the leader of team ABRN had taught Arslan that having multiple tabs open was a godsend. The white minimalist format of an official Atlesian website burned into her eyes as she read, desperate to soak up any and all information she could find. Certainly, looking at a site like this wouldn't have put her into a good mood, but the reason she was here certainly would have.

"What are you even reading anyways? If it was research for the tournament you would have told us last week." Reese asked.

"I'm reading up about a certain blind prodigy and her potential abilities." Arslan spoke curtly, trying to avoid suspicion.

"Are you really that worried we'll have to fight her? I'm sure we could take her no problem!" Bolin said triumphantly.

"No, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. Have you all picked out what you're wearing for the dance? I haven't seen anything come into this room to suggest you have." Arslan asked, looking up to see various reactions.

"I wasn't going to go, dresses aren't my thing." Reese replied.

"Seems like it would be boring." Bolin responded half-heartedly.

"I don't have a date." Nadir said sheepishly.

"Boring, all of you. Enjoy your night in this weekend then. And if I find out one of you broke something, annoyed someone or did anything I would deem unacceptable, I will work you to the bone, understood?" Arslan threatened. If she was going to go to the dance alone, she was going to make sure she didn't have to worry about a fire being started in the dorm.

"We got it, now go back to your reading." Reese whined. Reading the last paragraph about the Third Eye Program, Arslan closed the tab. As the white background was replaced with a more pleasant background, Arslan found herself on a tourism page for Patch. On the front page Arslan found a picture of Ruby, sitting professionally.

'A bit of islander pride for Ruby it would seem. Oh well, just makes my life easier.' Arslan thought to herself. Clicking on the attached link, Arslan found herself swimming in information regarding Ruby and various island traditions. Hours went by as Arslan found herself deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of information. By the time Arslan looked up, the moon was out, her team asleep, and she had just finished reading about certain traditions that carried over into Vale proper.

"Remind me to never do that again." Arslan spoke aloud, not expecting any answer. As she prepared herself for bed, Arslan found her thoughts drifting back to Ruby. "You've certainly piqued my interest Ruby, but how have you done it so effectively?"

 **AN/ So I turned 21 this Tuesday, hooray for me. Whiskey sucks, vodka is enjoyable, and kvass is impossible to find near me. Oh well. So, what do you think so far? Doing good? Doing bad? Anything that needs to improve? I'm open to suggestions. Next chapter is going to be the dance, or at least the start of it, I'm not sure about how long it'll be, but we're almost to where I want to be, and I'm ready for it! It'll probably be about 4 chapters away before the tournament starts, maybe 5, again I'm not sure. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, my sinuses are draining, my throat is killing me, and I don't want to go in to work today, but fuck! I need the money. Anyways, time to start the dance!**

Ruby sighed as she gathered her dress. She could tell Weiss had made alterations to it behind her back, and she hoped she could trust her partners judgement.

"Ruby, everyone is already at the dance, I know you're mad at Weiss, but it's too late to back out now." Blake groaned as she watched Ruby fiddle with her dress.

"I know, but what if it doesn't look good on me? I'm already being forced to go, but I really don't want to look like an idiot out there." Ruby complained.

"She fears your sister too much to make you look stupid, now come on." Blake ordered. After dealing with her leader, Blake was finally able to lead her out of the dorm.

"Wow, if I wasn't already taking Blake, I think I would risk the wrath of your sister." Sun commented as the two girls stepped into the hallway.

"Eyes forward Wukong." Blake threatened. She had to agree with Sun though, Ruby did look good in her dress. It was a longer dress, reaching mid-calf. Similar to Pyrrha, it had a slit down the right side, however the void was filled with a fishnet like material. Starting black and shifting to a dark red as it went up, Blake noticed that it clung to her frame, yet Ruby still had full motion of her limbs.

"I don't even want to know what this dress cost." Ruby moaned as she adjusted her flats.

"Ruby, it looks good on you, and it was a gift from Weiss. But I do have to say, it certainly brings out your, features." Blake stated, hoping Ruby caught her implication. Despite her shata covering her eyes, Ruby still rolled them. She could tell the dress was showing off what little she had for assets, it was part of why she was so annoyed at Weiss.

"I know, but now I'm worried that it looks too good. Remember, I can see things you can't clear as day." Ruby complained as she was led towards the dance. Her bust was thankfully covered completely, so she didn't have to worry about showing off what little cleavage she could manage, but it didn't help that the entire dress had a single strap going over her left shoulder.

"Ruby, at the risk of annoying Blake further, you look great, but if someone is hassling you, we'll step in. Now stop pouting and start smiling, we're almost there." Sun said as Blake rolled her eyes. Ruby could see the mass of bodies ahead and sighed once more. Doing as Sun suggested, Ruby hid her displeasure as they approached the door.

"Looking good Ruby, if you bring anyone home tonight, I'm throwing them out the window, understood?" Yang threatened after squealing in delight.

"Remind me to threaten Weiss later." Was all Ruby said as she walked past her sister? Once inside, Ruby immediately began trying to scan the crowd to find someone else to pester. Blake and Sun were already moving towards the dance floor, Yang was busy at the door, and Weiss had brought Jaune along with her to oversee the dance.

"Ahh, Ruby! You look so beautiful!" The familiar cry of Nora piercing through the music as she was quickly pulled into a hug.

"Ren, Nora, how are you guys doing?" Ruby asked as she squirmed out of the embrace.

"We are doing fine, though Pyrrha has disappeared and Jaune has been kidnapped by your partner." Ren stated, joy barely coloring his voice.

"I like the little rose, it's a nice touch." Nora stated as she inspected Ruby's dress further, poking at the extra fabric above her chest.

"Would you believe me if I said Weiss changed it? It was supposed to be a simple dress, kinda like Weiss's." Ruby complained.

"Nope, this looks far better to me. So, did you ask anyone to the dance?" Nora asked.

"No Nora, I didn't ask anyone to the dance, we went over this already." Ruby groaned.

"What a shame, I think I saw Arslan come alone." Nora teased.

"And what makes you so sure I'm in to girls?" Ruby defended.

"Nora, enough. Is there anywhere you want us to bring you to? The punch bowl perhaps?" Ren asked, pulling Nora away from the younger girl.

"If you wouldn't mind, and could you send Pyrrha my way if you see her?" Ruby asked, receiving a mock salute from Nora before she took off. Taking Ren's hand, Ruby was led through the crowd towards her prize.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you come to the dance?" Ren asked as he pulled Ruby along.

"Weiss and Yang forced me to come, saying that since I'm their leader, I have to be at the dance they organized." Ruby explained as Ren set her hand on the table.

"A suitable explanation. Are you sure you wanted to come alone though?" Ren asked as he noticed Nora coming their way.

"Honestly, no. But who would I have asked? Everyone I know is already taken, and I don't know the transfers that well. Don't even get me started about team CRDL." Ruby moped, taking the offered cup.

"Well, when you put it like that, I understand. As a friendly suggestion, try asking someone to dance though, who knows, you might end up having the time of your life." Ren stated as Nora jumped between the two.

"Pyrrha is on her way!" She cheered.

"Thank you, Nora. You're free to enjoy your night." Ruby dismissed the pair. Scanning the crowd, Ruby was surprised to see Penny. Granted she was flanked by two guards, but still.

"Enjoying yourself miss Rose?" Ozpin asked, startling the young woman.

"One of these days you're telling me how you do that, otherwise I'm filing a formal complaint." Ruby shot.

"Perhaps one day. You didn't answer my question though." Ozpin said, expecting an answer.

"I guess. I don't really enjoy formal events that much." Ruby admitted.

"Well, you certainly can't spend your entire life working. Have you tried finding a partner to dance with?" Ozpin asked.

"Not really, seems kind of rude to intrude on someone else's date." Ruby responded flatly.

"Not quite what I meant. Look towards the dance floor. Notice how when someone is dancing, they move in sync, responding to the actions of their partner? Think of it like a fight, with drastically lowered stakes." Ozpin explained.

"But they all got to know one another before-hand." Ruby added.

"That may be so, but you can still find common ground with someone, even if only for one night. Enjoy your night, miss Rose, missions start next week. Might I suggest trying your luck with one of the transfer students?" Ozpin suggested, walking off before Ruby could say anything.

"Try the transfer students, talk to Arslan, find someone to dance with. Like I need their help." Ruby muttered before gulping down her punch.

"I would ask you to dance, but you seem rather set against the idea." A familiar voice piped up.

"No, not at all Pyrrha, but everyone keeps suggesting I have to find someone by the end of the night, it's kind of annoying." Ruby responded, turning towards her friend.

"Well, nights like these are special, I can understand why everyone would say that." Pyrrha admitted.

"How was your night out with Yang? Did she drag you to a club?" Ruby asked, smiling as Pyrrha laughed.

"No, not at all. We just ran around Vale, actually. But I did meet someone. Sadly, they couldn't be here tonight, but it's nice to know that Jaune isn't a once in a lifetime person." Pyrrha admitted.

"Yeah, I was surprised to hear that you let Weiss have him, you weren't very subtle about your crush." Ruby joked at the redhead's expense.

"Yes, well, my night with Yang showed me that it was nothing more than that. If you'll excuse me, I would like to get some fresh air." Pyrrha said, dismissing herself. Nodding, Ruby found herself alone again. Feeling someone stare at her, Ruby looked around.

"You know, if you're just going to stare at her, she's going to leave." Neptune commented, leaning over to talk to Arslan.

"I never asked for your opinion Vasilias, now go away." Arslan growled, her gaze never leaving her Beacon counterpart.

"Yet here you are, staring down another girl, quite obviously, and not doing anything to get her attention." Neptune added.

"Why are you even here? Last I knew, you did everything in your power to annoy my team." Arslan grumbled.

"Because you're blatantly crushing on her. Sun is with her teammate, if you need a good word put in for you." Neptune offered, trying to agitate the blonde woman into action.

"Your assistance is not necessary, now go away before I turn you into a pinata." Arslan threatened.

"Fine, have it your way. By the way, she came to the dance alone." Neptune said as he walked away. Growling in annoyance, Arslan weighed her options. On one hand, she could take Neptune's advice and dance with the girl, possibly learning more about her for the tournament, or she could stay off to the side and watch her like a creepy stalker. Shaking her head, Arslan began walking towards the lone girl.

"You seem bored." Arslan called out as she approached.

"I got dragged here by my team, where's yours?" Ruby asked, turning to face the blonde.

"Refused to go. Nice dress by the way." Arslan complimented.

"Thanks, I didn't pick it out, my partner did." Ruby responded, annoyance coloring her voice.

"I like it, it suits you." Arslan added, trying to reassure the young Rose.

"Thanks, really. So, who's your date?" Ruby asked, smiling.

"Actually, I came alone, figured I would meet someone while I was here." Arslan explained.

"Yeah, I came dateless as well, apparently nobody wants to dance with the blind girl." Ruby joked.

"Well, what if I asked you for a dance? Just to say you did." Arslan suggested.

"Sure, but you can't complain if I step on your toes." Ruby stated, earning a light chuckle from the older girl. As the pair reached the dance floor, a slow song came over the speakers. Letting Arslan lead, Ruby swayed in her arms.

"I see you finally got onto the dance floor." A new voice piped in.

"Shut it Weiss, I'm still mad at you for switching my dress." Ruby shot before turning away from the heiress, who was currently in the arms of Jaune.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you without your, what was it, shata?" Arslan said just loud enough to be heard over the music.

"I hardly ever take it off during the day, if at all." Ruby replied.

"Mind if I see one day?" Arslan asked, curious. In her hours of research, every image of Ruby she had her shata, and she was admittedly very curious to see what laid under the black cloth.

"That depends on how well you do in the tournament. Beat me and maybe I'll let you see." Ruby challenged.

"I'll take that bet." Arslan shot back. The two danced in silence for the rest of the song, with Arslan keeping them away from the heiress. As they finished, Ruby spoke up.

"Well, at least I can't be told I didn't dance, thanks Arslan." Ruby bowed slightly.

"It was my pleasure Ruby, need another drink?" Arslan asked as she led the girl off the dance floor.

"Actually, it's getting kind of hot in here, mind taking me out the front door?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.

"Of course." Arslan spoke as she led Ruby out the door. Once the pair was outside, Ruby sat down, fanning herself with her hand.

"Now that I think about it, I'll take a glass of punch please." Ruby asked, looking up towards Arslan.

"I take it you're not one for the heat? I'll be right back." Arslan chuckled. As she walked away, they both had the same thought. 'Dear god, I'm gay.'

Ruby waited for Arslan to return, her thoughts conflicting. She had no idea if Arslan felt the same way, or if she would be disgusted that another girl was crushing on her. She was broken away from her thoughts though when she noticed a familiar aura in front of the CCT.

"Cinder? What is she doing?" Her answer came when she watched Cinder assault one of the guards in front of the building. Standing up and pulling out her scroll, Ruby watched as the remaining guards inside were ruthlessly beaten down as she called her locker.

'What is she doing?' Ruby asked herself as her locker landed in front of her. Pulling Crescent Rose from its storage, Ruby prepared herself to fight.

 **AN/ And chapter done! So, I guess the dance will be two chapters, oh well. I'm really excited for the Mountain Glenn arc though, even though it was unintended, I get to show you guys what Ruby would have been utilized for had she not been a huntress. Also, how do you think this will all affect Cinder's plans? We're only going to get more and more divergent from canon as we go, so I want to know what ya'll are thinking. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer, I do not ow RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and ready to write. I'm excited to get through this chapter, and not because I don't care about it, but because I get to show off Ruby and just how powerful her abilities are. And a show of power from a certain someone, but that's for just before the tournament. Anyways, let's go!**

As Ruby ascended the tower towards Cinder, her mind raced as she tried to piece together everything she just witnessed. 'Cinder attacked the guards, but didn't kill them, so what is it she's after? Is it information?'

Ruby watched as Cinder ducked away from the terminal she was at as the elevator came to a halt. Stepping out of the elevator, Ruby prepared herself.

"Whoever you are, I know you're there, show yourself." Ruby demanded. Cursing to herself, Cinder silently stood up.

"I don't know who you are, or what you're doing, but it ends now." Ruby spoke, brandishing Crescent Rose. Cinders silent response brought forth dust, sending it flying at the younger girl. Spinning her scythe, Ruby managed to block the attack before Cinder was on top of her, brandishing her own swords. Ruby knew she was outmatched, there was no question. Cinder gave her no room to attack, and her defense only stood because of her semblance. As Cinder rolled away, Ruby noticed two people approaching the tower. With a goal now in mind, Ruby charged forward, dodging the volley of arrows meant for herself.

Taking a swipe at Cinder, Ruby was unsurprised to see her attack be blocked. Firing a shot from the rifle, she was surprised when Cinder blocked it with her hand. Firing another three shots, they were all met with the same gesture. 'Then that means Cinder is working with Roman.' Ruby thought, remembering her first encounter with the thief.

Before Cinder could press the attack, the elevator chimed. Faster than Ruby could react, a foot planted itself in her gut, knocking her down as Cinder used the opportunity to escape out a window.

"Ruby!" Arslan shouted as she shot forward, helping Ruby up.

"Miss Rose, are you alright?" Ironwood asked as Ruby stood.

"I'm fine, she just kicked me, is all." Ruby explained, holding onto Arslan.

"Go rest, I'll report what happened to Ozpin. We'll call for you tomorrow." Ironwood ordered as he surveyed the room.

"Of course, sir." Ruby responded, letting go of Arslan to stand on her own.

"And miss Rose, miss Altan, if you could please keep what happened to yourselves for the time being. You may tell your teams if need be, but we need to do a proper investigation before releasing what happened." Ironwood spoke, leaving no room to argue.

"We understand. Come on, let's get you to your room." Arslan said as Ruby followed her. With their privacy ensured in the elevator, Ruby spoke up.

"Sorry, you probably thought I ditched you." Ruby apologized.

"Not at all, I saw your locker in the yard, I figured something happened." Arslan assured.

"Sorry for also ending the dance early too." Ruby added, a small blush gracing her face, not that Arslan noticed.

"It's fine Ruby. But it is a shame that I won't get another dance from you again tonight." Arslan admitted.

"Then next year, I promise." Ruby said, turning to face Arslan.

"Sure, but next time, no running off to do hero things without me. Don't think I didn't hear about your little trip into Vale." Arslan joked.

"I'm gonna kill Sun." Was all Ruby responded with.

"If I didn't know better, I would say it's like a kitten threatening a full-grown lion, absolutely adorable." Arslan joked. Receiving what she could only guess was a glare, Arslan chuckled as she put her hands up.

"You're lucky I was just kicked in the gut." Ruby grumbled as they stepped out of the CCT. With Arslan leading her by the hand, Ruby's thoughts warred with each other. The severity of the situation was one that she would have to bring up to her team, yet she couldn't disclose too much, because then Cinder would catch wind that she knew. On the other hand, her mind kept trying to flood itself with thoughts of the friendly transfer student who she had just dance with.

"Do you need anything before we get to your room?" Arslan asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh, uh, no thanks, I'm good." Ruby responded. With her thoughts interrupted, the flood gates opened and thoughts of Arslan poured through. As they entered her building, Ruby noticed something above them, recognizing two people.

"Hey, be quiet on the stairs, we're gonna have some fun." Ruby said mischievously. Confused, Arslan followed along as Ruby snuck up the stairs. As the pair approached the door to Ruby's dorm, Arslan watched as Ruby slowly unlocked the door. Pushing it open slowly, Ruby waited for the mechanism to be clear of the frame before throwing the door open.

"Surprise!" Ruby shouted, scaring Weiss and Jaune.

"Ruby! Knock next time!" Weiss screamed at her partner as she fell to the floor.

"Oh please, it's not like you two were actually doing anything. Or did you forget that I can see most of the campus on a daily basis?" Ruby asked jokingly before clutching her stomach in pain.

"Easy now, easy." Arslan said soothingly as she put an arm around Ruby.

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

"Got into a fight and received a kick to the gut for it. I'll explain more tomorrow, I promise, but right now I just want to sleep." Ruby explained before turning to Arslan.

"Rest up, missions start Monday." Arslan spoke, her voice drawing the younger girl in.

"I will, thanks for helping me to my room. See you in the tournament?" Ruby asked as Jaune stood from Weiss's bed.

"We'll see, I expect you to fight your hardest." Arslan responded.

"You know it." Ruby replied as Arslan stepped out the door, with Jaune following soon after.

"I assume you had a fun evening, aside from your fight?" Weiss asked.

"It was, but I'm still mad at you for switching my dress." Ruby shot as she gathered her pajamas.

"I don't know what you mean." Weiss responded innocently.

"One of these days I'm going to give you a matching scar on your other eye." Ruby threatened.

"I'd like to see you try." Weiss challenged. Ruby changed quickly, making sure her dress was properly put away before turning towards her bed.

"If you're still up when Yang and Blake get back, tell them what happened. I have to meet with Ozpin and Ironwood tomorrow." Ruby said before climbing under the blanket.

"I doubt I will be, but I'll try. Night Ruby." Weiss responded. Removing her shata, Ruby closed her eyes, Arslan filling her dreams.

 _*Ozpin's Office*_

"Ruby, how are you today?" Ozpin asked as Ruby stepped out of the elevator.

"I'm doing fine, no lasting damage done." Ruby responded.

"What you did last night was a fine example of what a huntress should do. You identified a situation, analyzed your surroundings, and acted appropriately. Ozpin was right to move you ahead." Ironwood praised.

"Despite your actions though, some things are not entirely clear. Do you have an identity for who the assailant was?" Glynda asked.

"Yes, it was Cinder. While I was in the elevator, she was doing something at one of the terminals. She kept mostly silent though, so I don't think she knew that I recognized her." Ruby explained, a plan hatching in her mind.

"We'll have a team inspect the terminals, what did she say, if you can recall?" Ozpin asked.

"I'm not sure what it was exactly, but she had mentioned something about a hideout, and the southeast." Ruby offered.

"Hm, in that case, you are free to go Ruby. We'll look into what Cinder tried to access and make a decision from there. Please, until we have come to a conclusion, I must ask you keep this to yourself for now. If she is up to something less than legal, it would be better for her to think she's in the clear." Ozpin said, with no room to argue.

"Of course, professor. One more thing, Cinder is the same woman miss Goodwitch and I fought. I thought I recognized her from somewhere." Ruby added.

"Then we know her intentions are not pure. If you learn anything more, don't hesitate to inform one of us." Ironwood spoke.

"I would use today to prepare for your mission tomorrow. I would hate to hear that you received a bad score because of a preventable mishap. You're dismissed miss Rose." Ozpin spoke. As Ruby disappeared into the elevator, Ozpin sighed.

"We know where they are and who is leading them. I say we march in there and take them by surprise." Ironwood suggested.

"Why is everything always a contest of measuring-" Glynda responded angrily, before getting cut off by Ozpin.

"While I do understand the reasoning, a show of force like that would scare the people. You're a general, so tell me this, who do you send first, the flagbearers, or the scouts?" Ozpin asked. Backing down, Ironwood sighed.

"I'll send a team to the CCT and have them inspect the system. Should we temporarily stop the network?" James asked.

"It would be wise yes. I'll have an urgent notice sent to the terminals, please have them work quickly. The people get angry when they can't communicate across the kingdoms." Ozpin agreed. 'Leo, I have some questions for you.'

 _*RWBY Dorm*_

"So, what happened?" Yang asked, pulling Ruby into the room.

"They just asked for some added details. But I may have told them about the White Fang." Ruby admitted.

"You what?!" Weis asked, shocked.

"No, she did the right thing. The authorities know about it, so that will put pressure on them. At the very least, they'll be more likely to mess up." Blake offered.

"Besides, we'll end up down there to investigate, I wouldn't mind a little backup." Yang added.

"Right, now, where is he?" Ruby demanded, pointing a finger at Yang.

"Dad didn't use the special container again." Yang groaned before pulling out a mail tube. Opening the package, they watched as a small corgi fell out of the package into Ruby's arms.

"ZWEI!" Ruby screamed in excitement as the dog began to lick her face.

"Dear girls, I have to go away on a mission for the next few days and I need you to watch Zwei. He should have plenty of food with him to last until I get back. Good luck, dad." Yang read off from an attached note.

"Your dad sent a dog in the mail?" Blake asked, using the desks to keep herself away from Zwei.

"He does things like this all the time. He doesn't bite, you know." Yang said, watching Blake keep a considerable distance from the dog.

"Oh, he's so cute!" Weiss added, pulling Zwei out of Ruby's arms.

"I don't care, now keep him away from my things." Blake growled as she began to climb onto one of the desks.

"Well, what should we do then? We have Zwei with us, and thankfully dad remembered to send his service harness, so we can go anywhere." Yang spoke as she emptied the container of dog food and the aforementioned harness.

"Well, it's Sunday, and missions start tomorrow. We should probably prepare as best we can. Dust, food, ammo and anything else we might need." Ruby started.

"I can handle the supplies. Write down whatever it is we need, and I can acquire them." Weiss continued.

"I'll look into what kind of missions are going to be available. At least we can prepare for what we can do." Blake added.

"Sounds like a plan. Weiss, I'm coming with you, Yang, help Blake and let us know what we'll need for each mission. Now Weiss, please put Zwei down." Ruby ordered.

"Fine. We can pick up the basics while they comb through the mission lists." Weiss said as she knelt down to play with Zwei. Managing to pull Weiss away from Zwei long enough to get his harness on, Ruby checked that she had everything she needed. With Weiss leading the way, the pair left the dorm.

"You know you're not supposed to pet service dogs when they're working, right Weiss?" Ruby asked as Zwei walked in front of her.

"I can't help it that he's so cute, besides, it's not like you really need him right now." Weiss countered.

"That might be true, but the point still stands. I didn't say you could pet him right now." Ruby shot back, a wide grin staring back at the heiress.

"Fine, I'll leave him alone. For now." Weiss begrudgingly agreed. With Zwei now being left alone the pair made their way to the airships, ready to buy out multiple shops.

 **AN/ And that's a chapter. So, this last weekend a couple of things happened. I had to spend $700 to replace my brake rotors and fix my phone, I got so wasted I fell on my face, and I'm now hurting financially. But I did enter myself at work to get a nice bonus for working a minimum set of hours, so there's that at least. So, what'd you think of the chapter? So close to some fun stuff, and what I had originally planned. We ca only go up from here. Hopefully. Also, I got hit with a sudden inspiration for an older Ruby AU, with a more crack ship than this story, and no, it's not Rosewick. Call me weird, but I enjoy the more oddball ships, they're fun. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer, I do not ow RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back and I'm incredibly stressed out right now. Financial and academic issues galore! Fuck my life. Oh well, here's hoping everything works out. So, a little bit a news some of you may or may not notice, I was able to get a cover for this story, credit is in the description for their Tumblr. Not much else is going on other than that though, so let's start this chapter and try to get through the rest of today without having a mental breakdown!**

With their supplies handled and possible missions having been gone over, team RWBY was ready to accept their mission. As the team made their way to the auditorium, they talked about what they expected to see.

"I just want to see the outside regions of the kingdom." Yang stated calmly.

"It's not much to look at. Just nothing but trees, and with the grimm around, it's not even that great to read." Blake said.

"I just hope we get some action. What kind of hunter do you think we'll be assigned to?" Ruby asked, Zwei at her side.

"Hard to say really. I just hope they act properly." Weiss added. Finding their way to an empty set of seats, they waited for Ozpin to give his speech.

"Good morning everyone. Today, you will begin your first mission as a hunter. You will be shadowing a professional hunter, listen to what they have to say. They have volunteered their time to help us teach you. They will have the final say in any matters you may come across, however they will leave primary decision making up to you. You represent your academy starting today, show the world what you are capable of. Good luck to all of you." With his speech finished, everyone began scrambling for missions.

"Alright, let's see, southeast Vale, where is a mission in southeast Vale." Yang said as she scrolled through the list of available missions.

"There, Mountain Glenn, search and destroy." Weiss pointed out, stopping Yang from scrolling further.

"Mountain Glenn is in the southeast, and search and destroy is probably ne of the easier missions we could take." Blake reasoned.

"Then it's settled." Ruby said triumphantly as she waved her scroll in front of the screen. Suddenly, the console beeped loudly.

"What? Why can't we take it?" Weiss asked, dejected.

"We determined that the grimm concentration in the area was too dangerous for most first year teams. However, the huntsman in charge of this mission was hoping you would be interested. Though I had a feeling you would have found your way there, mission or not." Ozpin said with a chuckle.

"So, does that mean we can take the mission?" Ruby asked, hopeful.

"Indeed, it does miss Rose. But I must warn you, this will put your skills to the test. If your abilities are found to be unsatisfactory, you will be sent home, but I believe you are all up to the task." Ozpin warned as he worked on his scroll. Soon after, the console dinged, allowing them to take the mission.

"We won't let you down professor." Ruby said with a mock salute.

"Now go on, he's waiting for you." Ozpin said, dismissing the team.

"Well, that was easy." Yang said, breaking the silence.

"Come on, we don't want to keep him waiting!" Ruby said before taking off, Zwei in tow. As they reached the airships, they all stopped dead in their tracks, disbelief across all their faces.

"Ah, girls, just who I was hoping to see!" Oobleck greeted enthusiastically.

"Professor Oobleck? You're the huntsman we're shadowing?" Ruby asked.

"It's DOCTOR Oobleck. I didn't earn my PhD for nothing! And yes, I believed my set of skills was uniquely geared towards this mission. Now, I have already taken the liberty of packing everything we will need, however, I didn't know you would be bringing Zwei along. I trust you brought food for him?" Oobleck asked quickly, never slowing down his speech.

"Yeah, we brought food." Ruby responded.

"Excellent! Now, by my calculations, we are exactly three minutes and fifty-two seconds behind schedule!" Oobleck announced before suddenly disappearing inside of the airship.

"Is it too late to back out?" Yang asked.

"Oh, come on, we'll save the world with doctor Oobleck ok yeah it sounds worse when you say it out loud." Ruby said, trailing off.

"you're saving the world? Without us? I'm hurt, sad! Maybe a little hungry, that last ones not your fault though, Ren!" Nora shouted before turning to her partner.

"Yeah, we're heading to mountain Glenn, where are you guys going?" Ruby asked.

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village, we leave tomorrow." Jaune explained.

"Yeah, and we're going to be junior detectives." Sun said, suddenly appearing with Neptune.

"Yeah, we get badges and everything." Neptune added.

"Try not to burn down the city you two." Blake asked, sighing.

"You four won't be there, so I think that's a guaranteed safety increase." Sun joked.

"Five minutes girls!" Oobleck shouted from the airship.

"Well, we need to get going. Good luck everyone!" Ruby said as she turned towards the airship.

"I was hoping you four would be interested in joining this mission. Especially you Ruby." Oobleck spoke as the airship took off.

"Really? Why is that?" Ruby asked.

"Because I can only learn so much about your abilities without seeing them firsthand. And you are perfectly suited to this kind of work!" Oobleck explained.

"So, what exactly are we doing in mountain Glenn?" Weiss asked.

"The local grimm population has been on the rise. Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, and with recent criminal activity, it has been theorized the two are in some way linked." Oobleck explained further.

"So, we're looking for a hideout? What about mountain Glenn would make for a good hideout anyways?" Ruby asked.

"If I remember right, mountain Glenn was an attempted expansion, there would likely be a lot of usable infrastructure in the area." Blake added.

"Precisely miss Belladonna! Mountain Glenn was Vale's first attempt at serious expansion beyond the border walls. However. before it could be completed, it was overrun by grimm. What remains of the city is still standing, a constant reminder of Vale's failure." Oobleck explained.

"Well, that clears some things up. Why did you want this mission anyways doctor?" Yang asked.

"My PhD is in history miss Xiao Long, and with such a historic site, it was only natural that I take this mission!" Oobleck exclaimed.

"Where are we right now? I see something!" Ruby suddenly shouted.

"We're just passing over the city right now, what do you see?" Oobleck asked, excited.

"A lot of grimm, and dust. A lot of dust." Ruby responded.

"The pilot needs to bring us in first, then I want you to tell me what you can." Oobleck ordered. As if the pilot was listening in, the airship suddenly turned as it began its descent into the decaying city. As the airship hovered in place, team RWBY jumped out, followed by Oobleck. "First order of business miss Rose, the grimm. We need to secure the area before we can properly begin our investigation."

"A pack of beowolves, fifty yards that way, coming towards us." Ruby said, pointing through the ruined buildings.

"And how many?" Oobleck asked.

"About forty. Should we take them by surprise?" Ruby asked as her team readied their weapons.

"If you believe that to be the best course of action, then certainly." Oobleck responded, watching as the four girls suddenly bolted, ready to destroy the grimm presence. Oobleck watched in silence as they pounced on the grimm. Yang was the first to dive in, blasting a few away as she impacted the ground. Weiss followed soon after, her rapier skewering the beowolves with ease. As Weiss stopped, Blake leapt over her, stabbing her sword through a beowolf that attempted to sneak up on the heiress.

Turning his attention towards Ruby however, and Oobleck had to admit he was impressed. Demonstrating control over her weapon, Oobleck watched as she seamlessly switched between swinging the blade of her scythe and letting loose a shot from her rifle. With minimal work, the pack of beowolves was cut down.

"Well done girls, but I believe it's time we begin our investigation! Ruby, if you would." Oobleck called out. Sitting down, Ruby began to focus her aura.

"They're below us. They have a lot of dust, and I think those are paladins. Torchwick is down there too. It looks like they're loading the dust onto something." Ruby explained.

"What of the area around us? Anything we may have missed?" Oobleck asked. Pushing her aura out further, Ruby saw something that made her blood run cold.

"What's that direction? Is there anything there?" Ruby asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Only mountain Glenn itself, why? What do you see?" Oobleck asked, catching on to her distress.

"A massive grimm signature. I don't know if it's one grimm or not, I've never seen anything that large before." Ruby explained. Everyone present remained silent.

"We have to tell the general. If something that large is this close to Vale, it needs to be dealt with." Yang spoke up.

"Agreed, however we are out of range of the CCT network. We'll have to inform them when we get back. For now, let's focus on the mission at hand. Split up and finish securing the area, we'll begin or move against our targets in the morning." With a goal set for the day, team RWBY began scouring the ruins, looking for grimm. With Oobleck popping in to check on their progress and ask them some questions, the day began to drag on as they continued hunting. Eventually though, Oobleck came across Ruby.

"Oh, doctor Oobleck. Sorry, I was resting for a moment." Ruby apologized.

"No need to apologize miss Rose, I certainly don't expect you all to wear yourselves down. Come, I've already dismissed your team for the night." Oobleck said, walking in front of her.

"I've been wondering, doctor Oobleck." Ruby started.

"Why I've been interrogating your team all day?" Oobleck asked, cutting her off.

"No, why were you so keen to see me work?" Ruby asked.

"Because Ruby, you have a unique ability that is still being researched. All around us are the remains of life, of what would have been a prosperous city, history! I look around and see lives that could have been saved. Lives that, had things happened differently, you or I could have saved. I applied myself so readily to history, so that I may learn from it. And in front of me right now, is a prodigious student, making history. Tell me, you saw a grimm earlier?" Oobleck asked.

"I did, yes. I couldn't make out any detail, it's just a giant mass that I recognize as grimm." Ruby responded.

"From what you told me earlier, it's currently hibernating within the mountain. Why would a grimm of that size be inside of a mountain, and more importantly, how did it get there? You brought forward questions that we didn't even know needed to be answered, and that is what I live for. Let's head back, your teammates must be exhausted." Oobleck said as he turned around. Ruby mulled over his words. Why did a grimm choose to hibernate within a mountain, and more importantly, how did it get there? Shaking her head, Ruby quietly followed along as they made their way to the camp.

"There, fire is going, food is ready, just need the others to come back." Ruby heard Yang say as they approached.

"Excellent fire girls. Now then, we will need to sleep in shifts to watch out for intruders and grimm alike, first volunteer?" Oobleck asked, to which Ruby raised her hand.

"I'll take second shift then." Weiss offered. Blake and Yang shared a silent agreement on who would be next.

"Alright, since that has been decided, rest up, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Night girls!" Oobleck dismissed before disappearing into the ruined building. Eating in silence, team RWBY watched the fire burn, adding more wood as needed.

"So Ruby, did Oobleck ask you about why you wanted to be a huntress?" Blake suddenly asked.

"No, not really, I assume he asked all of you that?" Ruby asked not bothering to look up from her food.

"He did. Why wouldn't he have asked you though?" Weiss asked.

"He probably knew exactly what kind of answer he would've gotten. What did you say?" Ruby asked, turning the question towards Weiss.

"I said it was for my family's honor, but that's not really what I meant. I know that the business has operated in a moral grey area," Blake scoffed, "Which is why I'm going to do something about it. My father wasn't the start of the Schnee name, I refuse to let him be the end of it." Weiss spoke, stressing the second phrase.

"I always went with the flow, but how long can I really keep doing that? I'm not like you Ruby, I wanted to be a huntress for the fun of it, but eventually I need to settle down and get my act together." Yang spoke up, looking towards her sister.

"And there isn't anything wrong with doing it just for the fun of it, but I do agree, you will need to focus more on the job at some point, but we're all still young, you have time." Ruby added. With the sisters now done, everyone turned to Blake.

"I grew up in the White Fang, born into it, really. I had a friend, or mentor, really. I always believed he stood up for what was right, but then, he began to change. Not all at once, it was gradual. He became hateful, whenever we went on missions, his body count steadily rose. He always claimed it was self-defense, and for a while I believed him, but deep down I knew the truth. There is too much hate in the world, and I couldn't just stand by and let it happen. It's why I joined the academy, as a huntress, I have a voice I can use to change things, for the better." Blake spoke, shuddering at the memories of Adam.

"Well, you're definitely in the right place." Yang spoke up.

"Thank you, for everything. What about you Ruby, it's only fair you hare why you want to be a huntress." Blake asked, turning towards her leader.

"My mother was a huntress, one of the best I was told. One day she never came back from a mission. I always wanted to be just like her, helping everyone she could. When I learned I could use my abilities to become a huntress, I jumped at the opportunity, though I'm sure the general is a little disappointed that I didn't join Atlas." Ruby explained.

"A bit idealistic, but still a noble reason. I'm sure she would be proud of you." Weiss offered. With the howl of a beowolf, team RWBY looked towards the blown-out window.

"They don't know we're here. Why don't you three go to sleep, if I had to guess, Oobleck is going to have us up early." Ruby ordered as she felt her way towards the vantage point, weapon in hand. As her team drifted off to sleep, Ruby allowed her thoughts to be filled with Arslan and the upcoming tournament.

 **AN/ So I started this chapter last Friday, and since then my financial worries have mostly been resolved, doesn't mean my bank account is going to be fine though. Class is still a bitch, damn math. So yeah, mental breakdown averted, crisis averted, now I just need to crank out the rest of my capstone project tonight and start turning in my drafting homework, and we'll be good. Also, I don't know if I mentioned this to you guys or not, but I got struck with a sudden crack ship inspiration, and no, it's not Rosewick. You won't see it until after Broken Mind starts back up again. Anyways, until next time have a great day!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, a little late, but I'm back. I've been busy working my ass trying not to go bankrupt. But hey, I got a promotion, so instead of being at the cash register, I now watch over the people on the cash registers. Anyways, that's all for now, on to the chapter!**

Ruby decided that she was no longer going to question professor Oobleck. Shortly after waking that morning, he was on what could only be described as a caffeine fueled rampage against himself. The reason? He had forgotten about the signal booster he had packed.

"Anyone else think it's too early for this?" Weiss asked, keeping her voice down as Oobleck worked to set up the device.

"Do you even need to ask?" Yang asked.

"At least we have some time to wake up. See anything Ruby?" Blake asked, turning her attention to the younger girl.

"They're still moving things around. I see Atlas mechs, as well as large piles of dust. Though I did see where an access point might be last night." Ruby explained as she ran her hands over her scythe as she waited for Oobleck to give them an order.

"And it's ready! Miss Rose, if you would come here please!" Oobleck suddenly shouted. Standing as she put her weapon away, she stood beside the professor.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked, wondering what Oobleck was planning.

"I want you to contact general Ironwood and tell him about the grimm you discovered. It is imperative that we pass along the location of a legitimate threat to our kingdom!" Oobleck spouted off, finishing his sentence with a large gulp of his coffee. Pulling out her scroll, Ruby began setting up the call. After waiting for the call to be passed along, Ruby prepared herself.

"Miss Rose? May I ask why you are calling me directly?" Ironwood asked, confused.

"General, while on our mission, I discovered a large grimm signature. It is currently within mountain Glenn." Ruby explained. The general paused before responding.

"I see. I will inform the Vale council as well as headmaster Ozpin. I want a full debrief on your return, understood?" Ironwood ordered.

"Of course, sir. We should be back within the day." Ruby said before hanging up.

"Splendid! Now we can focus on the task at hand! Ruby, you said you may have discovered a possible entryway?" Oobleck asked, not wasting a second.

"I think so, at least. It's over this way." Ruby said, pointing towards a secluded corner of the city.

"I'll take point girls, but once we are below ground, I will leave the mission in your hands, understood?" Oobleck asked, receiving nods from team RWBY. With Zwei following Ruby, they silently traversed the city, avoiding grimm where necessary. Scouring the city for any sign of an entrance, Ruby could only watch as the others searched where they could. Eventually they reached the furthest corner of the city, with no luck in discovering the entrance.

"If it's not here, then what do we do?" Blake asked as Yang began lifting a steel beam.

"Then we change tactics and strike swiftly. Though I would rather not storm the stronghold." Oobleck admitted. With the admittance, team RWBY began searching as hard as they could.

"What is it Zwei?" Yang asked as the corgi began to run through her legs.

"I think he may have just found our way down." Weiss suggested as Zwei began pawing at what appeared to be metal sheets. Lifting them away, Yang began singing praise to the small dog.

"Well, looks like Zwei was looking out for us. Anyone nearby Ruby?" Yang asked as Zwei flopped over under Yang's affection.

"We're all clear, I don't see any patrols nearby." Ruby said, pulling her cane from its spot on her hip.

"Alright girls, show me what you're capable of." Oobleck said as he took position behind them. Leading the way, Blake slowly began walking down the steps. With her teammates feeding information to her, Ruby began to work out a plan.

"What do you see Blake?" Ruby asked, keeping her voice down.

"We're coming up on a small ledge overlooking a massive cave. Assuming this is where they are, we should have eyes on them from up here." Blake explained, with Ruby affirming that the White Fang was just up ahead. Now that she was closer, Ruby was able to begin picking out individual auras.

"Roman is here, and so is that woman from the fight with the mech." Ruby said, causing everyone to stop.

"Then it's time to settle the score. They don't know we're here, so let's figure out what they're doing, and stop them." Yang said, ready for a fight.

"Agreed. Blake, what are they doing?" Weiss asked as the black themed girl reached the edge.

"They're loading the dust onto a train, along with the paladins. No sign of Torchwick though." Blake explained as everyone crouched beside her.

"Why would they be loading anything onto a train? These tracks all run into a dead end." Oobleck spoke, his voice trailing off as realization dawned on him. "We have to stop them from starting that train at all costs."

"Why? Do you know what they're planning?" Ruby asked, worry beginning to take hold.

"These tracks led straight into downtown Vale. It was sealed off after mountain Glenn entirely failed, both above ground and below. However, with the hardware they have, it would be far too easy to breach into Vale, possibly even bringing in grimm. This explains all of the dust they have been stealing over the last few months." Oobleck explained quickly, extending his thermos, revealing his weapon.

"Then that just means we have no room for failure. What's the plan Ruby?" Weiss asked, drawing her rapier.

"If we destroy the tracks, then they're trapped here. Destroy the tracks, then we can target the dust and paladins." Ruby spoke, as she swapped her cane for her scythe.

"And how do you propose we do that? Last I checked, we didn't carry explosives." Blake reasoned.

"But the White Fang does. Think you could swipe enough dust to blow up the tracks?" Ruby asked Blake.

"Uh Rubes? Are you forgetting something?" Yang asked before Blake could respond.

"Oh, uh, right. You never let me blow anything up." Ruby sulked.

"Weiss, think you could fling me at the engine?" Yang asked as Weiss drew her rapier.

 _*Below*_

"Perry, do you mind explaining why I am currently rewiring one of the bombs?" Roman asked, anger tinting his voice.

"Because it was improperly wired by the tech, sir." Perry replied as he stood beside the crime lord.

"Because it was improperly wired by the tech. Are you sure you don't have tech skills? I already prefer you over literally every other idiot I'm trapped down here with, I could make sure you get a promotion and never have to do this if you say yes." Roman offered as he moved a wire away from a terminal.

"I do not. Though I will take that promotion." Perry responded.

"Wonderful. Neo, how is the lieutenant holding up, everything good on his end?" Roman asked as the diminutive woman silently appeared. Giving Roman a confident smile, Neo held up a thumb.

"I'll grab some men so we can have this one loaded up." Perry spoke up, excusing himself.

"Yeah, yeah, it'll be done by the time you get back. So, Neo, think we can actually pull this off and get out unscathed?" Roman asked his partner. Before any response could be given, a loud explosion shook the train car they were in. Orders were issued as more explosions rocked the train.

"Intruders! Ready the paladins!" Perry shouted as he grabbed a rifle.

"What is going on here?!" Roman demanded, grabbing one of the faunus by the collar.

"Someone just destroyed the train!" He explained before an explosion threw more grunts over their heads. As the smoke cleared, Roman sighed in clear aggravation.

"Of course, it's them. Alright you idiots, I want their heads and I want them now!" Roman shouted as blonde hair came into view. Before he could react, a bullet impacted the ground in front of him. Looking up, Roman was immediately greeted by a heeled boot to the face.

"You're mine, Torchwick." Blake growled.

"Y'know, we really gotta stop meeting like this kitty cat, people are going to start talking." Roman shot, dismissing Neo to deal with Yang. With Neo, the lieutenant and the rest of the White Fang tied up dealing with the others, Roman prepared himself to fight.

Weiss watched as Blake leapt at Roman, viciously swinging her swords and blocking his blows. The revving of a chainsaw broke her from her musings.

"Finally, I get to kill a Schnee." Weiss watched as a large, muscled faunus stomped up to her. Silently preparing herself, Weiss hoped that Ruby could clear out the White Fang with Oobleck while her team was preoccupied.

Yang was having fun. Batting away grunts with little effort and avoiding the mechs that survived the explosions was almost too easy. Almost. Pounding a grunt into the ground, Yang looked up to see Zwei get launched at one of the mechs, destroying it. Turning back to the group of grunts, Yang was surprised to see the woman from before standing at the front of the group.

"If you need this much help, you should run while you still can." Yang shot, much to Neo's annoyance. Shifting her stance, Yang prepared herself for the onslaught of bodies running at her.

Ruby always enjoyed fighting. That was a part of who she was. The discipline and practice put into the moves she used had made her a machine during fighting. Using her semblance, Ruby was able to use her scythe to create a small ring that spelled defeat for any who dared get too close. Ruby's goal was simple, keep the lesser grunts focused on herself while her teammates fought the larger targets. As Oobleck destroyed the remaining mechs, Blake pushed the offensive against Roman, Weiss kept the lieutenant occupied and Yang faced off against the short woman.

"Hey kid, you lost?" One of the grunts asked, breaking the silence of their standoff.

"No, but you'll wish I was." Ruby shot back, not caring if it made sense. Shooting forward, Ruby began to plow through the grunts with little effort. As the fight continued, Ruby began to take note of the increasing grimm presence.

"Hold still!" Yang shouted in anger. She had long since dealt with the remaining White Fang, and now her focus was entirely on the lone woman. For every swing Yang made, she hit air and received a kick for her effort. She noticed as she continued to fight, she was led into one of the many decrepit buildings. Yang didn't realize her mistake until she swung one final time when her arm was caught. The speed she was put down shocked her. The last thing she saw was a pillar quickly filling her view.

Neo smiled with insane glee. Drawing her blade from her parasol, Neo prepared to end the girl right there. Before she could thrust the blade down, a ripping noise rang through the empty room. Ducking away, Neo barely avoided a red blade aimed for her neck. Looking up, Neo's blood ran cold as she stared down the masked face of Raven Branwen. Using her semblance to flee, Neo disappeared.

Looking over her daughter, Raven sighed. Assured that Yang was no longer in immediate danger, Raven walked away and opened a new portal, not noticing the blonde stir. Looking up, Yang barely registered who the woman in front of her was. Realizing who it was as the portal disappeared, Yang quickly jumped to her feet.

"Mom?" Yang asked, the only response being the muffled sounds of fighting. Quickly exiting the decrepit building, Yang instantly threw herself back into the fight. Noticing Weiss begin to struggle, Yang began to work her way towards the heiress.

"Nice of you to join us." Weiss quipped as she ducked under a swing of the chainsaw.

"Sorry, kinda had my hands full." Yang defended as she grabbed one of the grunts by the collar and promptly throwing him into another faunus. Between the freezerburn pair, the grunts around them fell with little effort, leaving only the lieutenant. A low roar from within the deeper tunnels put an abrupt pause to the fighting.

"We've got a problem!" Oobleck was heard shouting. Ruby felt her blood run cold at the mass of grimm approaching from the tunnels. Turning the muzzle of her rifle towards the grimm, Ruby prepared herself for the coming onslaught.

 **AN/ Jesus. Fucking. Christ. This was supposed to be out months ago. Work fatigue is a real thing, and it fucking sucks. I took a promotion, and things almost instantly went to hell. Things barely happen on time, if at all. But you aren't here to listen to me rant about how work is going, you're here to enjoy the half-baked words on your screen we all pretend is top literature. I promise to work harder to bring more chapters more consistently. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, we got a new semester, a new chapter, and a repeat schedule of last semester, let's go! First of all, sorry for slacking on the uploads, it's just been busy and exhausting, both at work and home, I just had t move into my friends basement so that we can move into our apartment in about a week, so yeah, it's been busy. But hey, I'm here now, so let's get this started.**

As the grimm drew closer, Ruby could feel a shift in the air. Instead of fighting one another, her team and the White Fang formed an unspoken truce as every weapon they had was trained on the grimm.

"Yang! Focus on the main group, Weiss cover the flanks! Blake, get Doctor Oobleck away from the grimm!" Ruby shouted as she ran the bolt on Crescent Rose as fast as she could. She could hear someone issuing orders to the faunus, likely Roman or the big faunus with the chainsaw.

"There's too many!" One of the grunts shouted, frantically shooting into the horde. Creeps and beowolves falling, only to be replaced by three more. Ruby could tell that fighting each other had taken its toll on everyone, ammo was low, people were exhausted, and overall morale was dwindling. Loading her specialty ammo, Ruby tried to form some semblance of a wall. Despite being unable to see her handiwork, Ruby knew it wasn't working.

"Any suggestions?! I'll take whatever you got!" Ruby heard Roman shout. Thinking to herself, an idea came to her.

"Yang cover me! Weiss, I need a glyph on the highest part of the ceiling!" Ruby shouted, hoping her teammates could hear her over the gunfire. With no audible response, a glyph appeared above Ruby as Yang slammed into the ground in front of her. Loading an explosive load into Crescent Rose, Ruby aimed for the glyph. Firing, Ruby waited, hoping her plan would work.

"What the hell?! Everyone take cover!" firing three more times into the same location, Ruby hoped her shots went high enough as Yang suddenly tackled her.

 _*Vale*_

"Ozpin, tell me, what does Mountain Glenn itself mean to Vale?" Ironwood asked cautiously.

"Much like the Forest of Forever Fall, it's a landmark teeming with grimm, but still a beautiful sight to behold. Why?" Ozpin asked responded.

"It would seem that miss Rose found something inside the mountain, judging from the limited description I was given, it might be a massive grimm, or a grimm hive, nested within the mountain." Ironwood explained.

"Considering the grimm have no real reason to nest inside the mountain like that, it's rather hard to say. I'm well aware of the size grimm can grow to, I've been off the coast of Argus, but for something like that to be nested just outside the kingdom and have never shown itself? Also, incredibly unlikely." Ozpin added.

"This just highlights how little we know about the grimm. I would like to propose to the Vale council an investigation, and if possible, extermination event. Though Vale may lose part of its scenery." Ironwood admitted.

"I will put forth a motion with the council, though I cannot guarantee they will see things the same way you do." Ozpin offered. As Ironwood was about to respond, something drew away Ozpins attention. Light smoke, and three flashes of light.

"What is it?" Ironwood asked, noticing his friend's distraction.

"Scramble what aircraft you have, Mountain Glenn just turned into a rescue mission."

 _*Underground*_

"Why did you do that?!" Weiss shrieked as the dust began to settle.

"I had to try and get someone's attention!" Ruby shouted back. Looking around, Ruby could see that a lot of the White Fang had either perished or were trapped by the rubble.

"A little warning next time then!" Weiss shouted. Seeing that her team was alright, Ruby began searching for any grimm that may have survived. Seeing that Roman was dealing with a limping beowolf, Ruby let herself relax.

"Looks like it's just Torchwick now." Blake commented as she stepped beside the pair.

"Should we do something?" Yang asked as Oobleck appeared with Zwei.

"Arresting Torchwick would be a huge blow to the White Fang, not to mention the other crimes he needs to answer for, though it would seem that he is out of ammo." Oobleck commented. Suddenly, a skittering noise began to emanate from the tunnels. Soon the sound began to multiply as multiple deathstalkers and king taijitu emerged, surround by more beowolves and creeps poured in around them.

"Please tell me at least one of the paladins is still up and running." Yang asked, fear beginning to seep into her voice.

"No, they were all crushed in the cave in. We're all that's left." Weiss said, realizing what the situation had just become. Ruby knew she had to do something, but as the grimm slowly closed in, it looked more and more hopeless.

"Well Red, thanks to you, looks like we all get to die down here. Truly, a great hero, you have my eternal gratitude. Anything you want to say before we all turn into lunch for the wonderful creatures coming from down those tunnels?" Roman asked tauntingly. Roman never noticed Ruby stalking closer to him, as her team watched in stunned silence as Ruby swung Crescent Rose at Roman, knocking him across the head, silencing him.

"Ruby, are you ok?" Yang asked, stunned at the violent act.

"We are not dying here. Help should be on the way, we just have to hold out long enough. I refuse to let anyone die here." Ruby stated, as if saying it would make it true. Letting her scythe extend to its full glory, Ruby moved to the front, facing the oncoming grimm.

Charging forward, Ruby began to slash her way through the lesser grimm, avoiding the larger grimm altogether. She knew from experience that they would need to work together to defeat them. Feeling a chill, Ruby smiled to herself as Weiss skewered a creep that tried to sneak up on her. As Yang and Blake charged ahead, Oobleck launched Zwei into the fray.

Despite their lack of ammo and clear exhaustion, team RWBY held out, but deep down, Ruby knew it wouldn't last. Eventually, someone would fall, and when that happened, it would be like dominoes. As if to show that they heard her thoughts, the grimm began to descend on Yang.

"Yang!" Ruby screamed as she watched her sister's aura drown in a sea of grimm. Charging towards her sister, Ruby threw herself to the ground as a deathstalkers took a swing at her with its tail. Feeling a pressure building just behind her eyes, Ruby stood as quickly as she could. As Yang disappeared entirely, something within Ruby broke. As if a flood of emotions spilled forth, Ruby felt immense pain, then nothing.

Looking up, the first thing Weiss noticed after he blinding light was a distinct lack of grimm in their immediate area. The second thing the heiress noticed was the lack of movement and sound from the grimm that were further back.

"Yang!" Blake shouted, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine, really. But what was that?" Yang asked, holding a tender spot on her arm.

"I think that was Ruby." Blake responded as Weiss crouched beside their downed leader.

"She has a pulse and is still breathing. Whatever she did, it took a lot out of her, but she'll be fine." Oobleck said, trying to soothe their worries.

"Are you alright Yang?" Weiss asked, looking over the brawler.

"I will be, my aura broke right before Ruby did, well, that." Yang said with a broad gesture around the battlefield. Suddenly, the silence was replaced with a dull roar, one they recognized.

"Looks like the cavalry is here, if a little late." Blake spoke, trying to lighten the mood. They watched as a bullhead hovered above the hole Ruby had made, releasing ropes from the sides. Atlas soldiers suddenly appeared, descending the ropes. Waiting for them to reach the ground, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sergeant Washington of Blue company, what happened?" A soldier in blue highlighted armor asked as he reached the floor.

"Doctor Oobleck, Beacon academy. Training mission gone wrong I'm afraid. The students are a bit shaken up, with one unconscious, as well as a criminal asset." Oobleck explained.

"We're here to take you home, let's get these two on board first, then we can airlift you out."

 _*Hours later, Beacon Infirmary*_

"You say that there was a blinding light, and suddenly the grimm were gone?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes. One moment Yang is covered in grimm, the next, Ruby is unconscious, the grimm are either vaporized or turned to stone, and it's just silence." Weiss explained.

"Hm, I'll have to look into this, dual semblances have never been recorded before. In the meantime, I want you all to rest up. I've already excused you from your classes for the remainder of the week. When you are all awake and able, I'll be back to speak with you. Enjoy the rest of your night." Ozpin dismissed himself, standing from his seat. Looking over to Ruby, he felt something within him twist.

Waiting for the door to close, Weiss started "So does nobody besides me have questions?"

"What are we supposed to say Weiss? Ruby just eliminated all of the grimm in that cave without using her weapon and is now unconscious in a bed next to mine. How was that even possible?" Yang asked rhetorically. Suddenly, a knock sounded from the door.

"Come in." Blake called, turning away from Yang.

"Hey guys, what happened?" Jaune asked as he stepped through the door, followed by the rest of his team.

"Oh, you know, we tried to bite off more than we could chew, I came close to dying and Ruby somehow nuked a hoard of grimm after caving in the ceiling and crushing most of the White Fang. The usual." Yang responded, falling flat in her attempt to lighten the mood.

"Well, I hope everyone is doing better, relatively speaking." Ren added, concern in his voice.

"Trust me, we are. We just need some time to rest, then we'll be ready for the tournament, I'm sure Ruby would regret every decision up to this point if she had to miss it." Weiss spoke as she looked towards the unconscious girl.

"Yeah, that sounds like Ruby. Though your return drew a bit of a crowd. One moment, everyone is just sitting around and preparing for missions, the next, sirens start going off an entire wing of Atlesian ships starts flying towards Mountain Glenn. People were asking all kinds of questions." Pyrrha explained.

"Yeah, I bet. Though we're just glad that someone interpreted her little fireworks show as an SOS and not a negligent discharge of dust." Weiss added.

"Though we did catch Torchwick, so despite the absolute disaster that was our rescue, the mission itself was still a success. Though Ruby has a couple things to go over with the headmaster and the general. I heard they wanted to put us on the news?" Blake spoke up.

"Oh, trust me, they wanted your story the moment Atlas tore through the sky, though I think Ozpin strong-armed them and told them to shove it." Nora explained, her eyes shining at the though of Ozpin getting worked up to the point of threats.

"Alright, that's enough of you for one night, they need to rest Nora. Take it easy guys, if you need anything, just call one of us, alright?" Jaune said as he began to usher his team through the door. As he turned back to say goodbye once more, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him as a white ponytail filled his vision.

"Thank you for checking on us Jaune, I really appreciate it." Weiss said quietly as she tightened her hold.

"Anything for you Weiss." Jaune responded as he held her close.

"Alright lovebirds, break it up." Nora and Yang said in unison as Nora began to pull Jaune away.

"Are you ok Weiss? You normally hate physical affection." Blake commented.

"I just witnessed my leader explode and a teammate almost die, cut me some slack!" Weiss spat.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised that she only went for a hug." Blake joked.

"The real world doesn't work like your porn Blake." Yang deadpanned.

"It's not porn!" Blake defended.

"Sure, it's not. Besides I'm surprised Yang didn't immediately try jumping someone, seeing as how she almost died." Weiss added.

"Ok, at first it didn't bother me, but can we please stop talking about how I almost became grimm food?" Yang asked.

"Sorry. Look, it's starting to get late. Blake, why don't we go back to the room, unless you really want to sleep there tonight. You know where we'll be, call us if you need something, ok?" Weiss suggested.

"Will do Weiss. Blake, go on, you're not sleeping there tonight, we'll be fine." Yang practically ordered.

"If you say so Yang. Sleep well, we'll be back tomorrow morning." Blake said as she stood from her seat.

"I do say so, now go sleep before Sun comes searching for you." Yang joked as Blake grimaced from the thought of Sun bothering her sleep. Silence filled the room as the other half of her team left, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

'That was mom, no doubt about it. But why did she save me, and why only once?' Yang asked herself as she stared out the open window. As if to snap her from her thoughts, Ruby's breath hitched, before returning to normal.

'Must be a dream.' Yang concluded. She supposed that was a good sign. Looking at Ruby's face, Yang thought back to how rare it was for her to see her face unobscured by the shata she wore. She briefly wondered what she would've looked like in the tunnels if she didn't have the shata on when she bludgeoned Roman. She was still coming to terms with the fact that Ruby had just acted on violence out of anger, something she thought she was incapable of.

Feeling her eyes become heavy, Yang turned in for the night. Closing her eyes, she never noticed the raven perch itself outside the window.

 **AN/ I'm not going to lie, this chapter honestly feels like a mess. It feels like it's unfocused and only barely managed to introduce elements and set up further chapters. Hopefully I can really get back into the swing of things, ya'll don't deserve chapters this unfocused, and that's not why you're here. If the next chapter I write comes out the same way, I will be taking steps to address it, but until then, have a great day!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back again, just failed my first test of the semester, and am starting to go crazy with a lack of internet at home. We got all moved in, now we're just waiting to set up WIFI, and then we'll be set. Hopefully though, I can improve upon the mess that was last chapter, I really do enjoy writing this story. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

As the morning sun rose, Ruby finally stirred. Looking around, Ruby recognized Yang, however, was unsure as to where they were.

"Yang. Yang! Wake up!" Ruby called, hoping to wake her sister. Listening to her sister continue to snore, Ruby tried to sit up. However, her arms gave out as she managed to lift herself up. Flopping back down on the bed, Ruby huffed in annoyance. Feeling around her bed, Ruby realized she wasn't back in her own bed when her hand brushed against a remote. Running her thumb over the buttons, Ruby mentally cheered when she read 'Page' in the familiar braille. Pressing the button, Ruby patiently waited.

"Good morning miss Xiao- Oh, miss Rose, you're awake!" The nurse exclaimed.

"Good morning to you too." Ruby responded.

 _*Weiss*_

Slowly getting dressed for the day, Weiss debated waking Blake. She was clearly exhausted the night before and needed her rest, but Ruby had called for both of them. Deciding to let Blake sleep, she wrote a note saying where she was and apologizing for not waking her. Stepping out the door, Weiss sighed to herself.

'After a public fiasco like that, father is sure to call.' Weiss thought glumly. Making her way to the infirmary, Weiss was surprised to see people out and about still.

'Of course, many of the transfer students are likely not used to Vale yet.' She reasoned, noticing a familiar blonde.

"Arslan!" Weiss called.

"Oh, Weiss, I didn't realize you were out and about. What happened?" Arslan asked as the heiress approached.

"Our mission went sideways, Yang and Ruby are both in the infirmary, and Ruby just woke up, would you like to join me?" Weiss offered.

"Of course, lead the way." Arslan accepted, gesturing for Weiss to take the lead. Talking about their respective kingdoms, Weiss learned more about Mistral and its accompanying school.

"So, Haven focuses more on dealing with bandits than anything else?" Weiss asked.

"Mistral has a greater concentration of bandits than the other kingdoms. While Atlas is effectively a military, or Shade and its focus on survival, Haven primarily teaches about dealing with bandits and the aftereffects. Though I've never understood Beacon. From an outside perspective, you don't seem to focus on anything." Arslan commented.

"That is true. I suppose that's why I enrolled here." Weiss agreed. Approaching the infirmary, Weiss stepped through the door.

"Good morning miss Schnee, here to visit your team?" The receptionist asked.

"I am, I was told Ruby is awake?" Weiss asked.

"She is, and currently deciding which of the two meals she ordered she wants to eat first." The receptionist said with a smile.

"That sounds like her." Weiss said with a sigh. Walking back towards the rooms, Weiss maintained silence.

"No Yang, these are mine, get your own!" Ruby could be heard yelling at her sister.

"But Ruby! I'm hungry!" Yang whined back.

"Too bad, you should've woken up sooner." Ruby stated.

"Why am I not surprised to hear you two already fighting like children." Weiss sighed in annoyance. Sticking her tongue out at the heiress, Yang attempted to reach for one of Ruby's plates of food.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, pulling both plates away from the blonde's grasp.

"Is this normal for them?" Arslan asked, stepping out from behind the heiress.

"Arslan! Stand between Yang and my food, please!" Ruby ordered. Seeing Ruby's face, Arslan was shocked. A pair of dull silver eyes greeted her, that despite their appearance, seemed to contain her childish excitement.

"Uh, right!" Arslan sputtered, realizing she was staring.

"I'm not wearing my shata, am I?" Ruby asked, realizing why Arslan responded the way she did.

"Nope." Yang responded, popping the P.

"Well, that's a bet that went out the window." Ruby grumbled.

"What was the bet?" Weiss asked.

"Remember the dance? Arslan asked if she could ever see me without it, and the deal was if she could beat me in the tournament, then I would take off my shata. Something that clearly fell through." Ruby explained. None of them seemed to notice the mild glare Yang was giving Arslan.

"Then I guess we'll have to decide on a new bet." Arslan offered. Looking down, Arslan noticed that Ruby was nearly done with her second plate.

"What?" Ruby asked, feeling the stares from the others.

"How have you eaten that much food that quickly and that silently?" Weiss asked.

"I was hungry." Ruby stated simply.

"You ever wonder why she can eat nothing but pure junk food but still keep her figure? She burns calories like I'm sure your father burns one lien cards." Yang joked.

"That does explain a few things." Arslan added. Glancing at the time, Arslan excused herself.

"Stop by after class?" Ruby asked.

"Sure, but my team heads out tomorrow, I don't know that we'll be in range of the tower." Arslan said.

"We have the week off from classes, so if you're in range, I expect updates. What are you guys doing anyways?" Ruby asked.

"A village northeast of here needs help setting up defenses. Apparently a small grimm attack wrecked what little they had built already." Arslan explained.

"Good luck!" Ruby waved as Arslan left the room. Making sure Arslan was out of earshot, Yang spoke up.

"Aw, does little sis have a crush?" Yang teased.

"Shut up Yang!" Ruby shot back, blushing.

"I mean look at you two, talking like you're already a couple. How cute." Yang continued.

"That's not-" Ruby tried to counter.

"I bet you want Arslan to make you all kinds of cookies too." Yang joked.

"Alright Yang, I think you have thoroughly embarrassed your sister." Weiss said flatly.

"You're no fun Weiss." Yang pouted.

"That being said, do you have a crush Ruby?" Weiss asked, no hint of teasing.

"Whose business is it anyways?" Ruby asked defensively.

"Alright, be that way then." Weiss said, putting her hands up.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Ozpin asked, stepping through the door.

"Who do I have to talk to so I can file a complaint?!" Ruby shrieked, nearly jumping out of bed.

"That won't be necessary. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.

"I would say hungry, but I just ate." Ruby joked.

"So, I see. I have a few questions for you, regarding your report, if you wouldn't mind." Ozpin asked.

"What do you want to know?" Ruby responded, sitting more upright.

"You said you saw a large grimm, residing within Mountain Glenn. Describe it." Ozpin started.

"It was massive. I've never seen a grimm of that size." Ruby explained.

"Are you sure it was one large grimm, and not, say, a nest?" Ozpin asked.

"I'm certain it was a single grimm. It seemed to move as if it was breathing" Ruby clarified.

"If we were to send you with the Atlas ships, would you be able to guide them so as to destroy it?" Ozpin continued.

"I could, yes." Ruby stated.

"Have your team ready your things. If your final checkup goes well, you'll be in the air before lunch." Ozpin spoke.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"The council has given us free reign to release the situation to the public, as well as deal with the grimm as we see fit. If Ruby is correct and this is indeed a massive grimm, then the collective firepower of the Atlesian ships will be a necessity, as will the likely destruction of Mountain Glenn itself." Ozpin explained.

"Not to mention we can use it as a show of unity. And a live demonstration of the program." Ironwood chimed in.

"Yes, a good show for all to see. One of the largest grimm ever discovered during a scouting mission, the leader of the team returning to finish the job. Makes for a wonderful headline, wouldn't you agree?" Ozpin asked.

"Of course, sir, I'll be ready!" Ruby agreed with a mock salute.

"Splendid. I'll send a nurse in right away. And don't worry, I've already dealt with the media." Ozpin said, dismissing himself.

"While I don't entirely agree with how quickly he has you going back to the field, it certainly is better to deal with this issue now while we still have the advantage. I will see to it that you are given plenty of time to rest before anymore missions come your way. I will go over the details with you when we are airborne." Ironwood added before turning. With the headmasters gone, the three girls were left alone to acknowledge what had just happened.

"Well, it looks like you'll be making a name for yourself Ruby." Weiss spoke.

"More like turning it into an international name." Yang corrected.

"Ten years in the making. The combat program started ten years ago." Ruby said quietly.

"Mom would be proud of you." Yang offered.

"So, what exactly does this mean for your program as a whole?" Weiss asked.

"The Third Eye program has always been circulating the news. People know who we are and what we do, but it's always been small things. Finding people lost in the woods, finding grimm nests on the outskirts of the kingdoms. I know for a fact two of them are directly employed by your father to find new dust mines." Ruby started explaining.

"Up until now, they haven't been prime time stories is what she's saying." Yang stepped in.

"For me to be the one directly responsible for eliminating such a large threat to a kingdom, that will get us recognition, which means more people will want us." Ruby explained.

"It seems to me like you're already wanted by people." Weiss said.

"That's true, but we're wanted the same way you want a bloodhound. So far, we've been seen as the rich persons search dog. This would mean we have a viable place in the defense of the kingdoms." Ruby explained.

"But everything you've ever told me makes it seem like you love it." Weiss said, confused.

"Don't get me wrong, we wouldn't trade it for the world, but look at me. I'm the first one in the program to experience combat, and not be in the way. There are only two others that fight, and that's because they favor being outside the kingdoms. This would put us in the spotlight." Ruby continued.

"I can understand that." Blake said, appearing beside Weiss.

"Well, be that as it may, we do need to get you ready. Is there anything you need in particular?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, grab one of my outfits, as well as the black bag in my corner of the closest, please." Ruby asked. Dismissing themselves as a nurse entered the room, Blake paused.

"So, what is going on? I see a note saying Ruby is awake, I drop by to see her, then I overhear that she's almost immediately going on a mission?" Blake asked, confused.

"Apparently Ozpin cleared her for it, but she still has to pass her checkup before she can be released. That being said, she gets to lead Atlas forces, destroy a mountain, and gets the credit for killing one of the largest grimm Vale has ever seen. If what has been said so far is true." Weiss recapped.

"Lucky her. Did Ozpin say anything about?" Blake trailed off.

"No, he didn't. My guess is that he would like to talk to Ruby first about it. Any news about Torchwick?" Weiss asked.

"He's being held in Ironwoods flagship. From what little information I was able to get, he hasn't been cooperating since he woke up." Blake explained.

"Of course he hasn't. Come on, I want to make sure we're caught up in our classes. We might have been excused from class for the week, but that doesn't mean we should fall behind."

 _*Beacon Landing Pads*_

"Are you ready miss Rose?" Ironwood asked as the bullhead slowly lifted off.

"Yes sir. You said you would fill me in?" Ruby asked, resting against her cane.

"I did. Ruby, this is Lisa Lavender, she will be with us to conduct an interview, as well as televise the strike. We understand that the grimm is within Mountain Glenn, however you will need to guide us so as to make this as efficient as possible." Ironwood explained.

"Of course. Anything else?" Ruby asked.

"One more thing. Be on your best behavior, and don't overdo it. You were released far sooner than I would have preferred, the program can't afford to have one of its best down for the count." Ironwood warned. Nodding, Ruby steadied herself as the airship landed in the hanger of Ironwoods ship.

"Alright General, whenever you would like to start, I will be on the bridge." Lisa dismissed herself, her small crew following her. Following behind Ironwood, Ruby felt excitement. While she was a prodigy in the program, large operations were never given to her. Now able to put what training she was given to use, Ruby vowed to make everyone proud.

 **AN/ And that is done! A bit more cohesive, not put together like a fever dream. I'm personally excited for next chapter, big guns, big explosions and a comfortable, healthy dose of exposition. Hopefully. And with the tournament coming up very soon, I can really start cranking this story out. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back with another chapter. Who likes explosions and big guns? Hopefully all of you, if you actually watch RWBY. Not much to say other tan I learned that my modem is slightly defective and causes high packet loss, so yay, no CoD open beta for me until I can get a new modem. That is a weird sentence for me to say, actually wanting to play CoD. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

Taking her time loading her dust cartridges, Ruby contemplated what was about to happen. A grimm lager than anything Vale had ever seen was discovered, by herself, and was about to be destroyed, because of her. She was going to be on international news. A sudden urge to call Weiss or Pyrrha briefly crossed her mind. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Ruby went back to mindlessly loading her dust.

"Pack enough ice dust, I could coat the entire mountain." Ruby said to herself. Last minute preparations were underway. Looking around herself, Ruby could see multiple gunships being loaded and refueled, their crews waiting for the order to launch.

"What exactly is the plan again? I haven't gotten a straight answer." She overheard one of the nearby pilots say. Speaking up, Ruby filled him in.

"The airships are to hold position a mile and a half from the mountain. The gunships are to run interference on any nevermores or griffons that decide to get too close while I mark the mountain. After the airships free the grimm inside the mountain, all guns are to destroy whatever comes out." Ruby said, not bothering to look in their direction.

"You're one of those Third Eye types, aren't you?" The pilot asked.

"Ruby Rose, personally invited by the general himself." Ruby introduced.

"Miss Rose, we're ready for you on the bridge!" A voice called out. One of the bridge officers, Ruby guessed. Picking herself up from the floor of her claimed dropship, Ruby put her magazines into her belt. With the assistance of her cane, Ruby crossed the hangar without incident.

"Has the general started the interview?" Ruby asked.

"He has, with Ozpin filling into confirm the council has agreed to the operation." The officer responded.

"Hopefully people aren't too mad about the scenery." Ruby wondered as she followed.

"We can only hope that the grimm can get out just a little bit, it certainly would prevent us looking like fools if all the cameras captured was an empty crater." The officer added. As the doors to the bridge opened, Ruby could hear the general explaining her part.

"With the dangers posed to us and to Vale, we sought to put one of our more, civilian projects to use in this operation. We are working alongside the star of the Third Eye program, a program developed to help the naturally blind, miss Rose, if you would." Ruby watched as Ironwood gestured to herself and the camera crew turned to her.

"Miss Rose, Lisa Lavender. Your name has been making headlines as of late, what can you tell us about what you offer that the Atlesian military is not capable of?" Lisa asked, now offering the mic to her.

"Like the others in the program, I am able to see the location of aura, dust, and grimm. While on a training mission, I discovered a large grimm presence within Mountain Glenn." Ruby started.

"So, you can see grimm through any kind of terrain that would otherwise block someone's line of sight?" Lisa asked.

"Yes, and my purpose for being here is to guide the airships guns to the grimm. As you can see, or so I've been told, all that is visible is just a mountain. Without guidance from someone within the program, Atlas would be wasting valuable time shelling the mountain." Ruby explained.

"Incredible miss Rose, simply incredible. We are now going to commercial break, but don't go anywhere. We here at VNN have been given the privilege to record and broadcast the event. This is Lisa Lavender, signing off." With the crew relaxing, Ruby allowed herself to relax.

"Alright, everyone to their stations, I want gunships in the air!" Ironwood suddenly shouted.

"Where would you like my crew general?" Lisa asked.

"If you are willing, with miss Rose. Her ship will have the best view, despite being in the middle of everything." Ironwood suggested.

"We can work with that."

 _*Beacon*_

"She certainly held together during the interview." Weiss commented.

"Kinda surprised actually. When she was being interviewed back on Patch, she almost crumbled, and it wasn't even a recorded interview, just someone asking questions and writing everything down." Yang added.

"Really? With the way I've been told she jokes around, I figured she would've been fine." Blake spoke.

"Did we miss the interview?" Nora asked, jumping onto the couch.

"Just ended. Should've been quicker." Yang joked as she stuck her tongue out.

"Hey, not our fault we got stopped on the way. By the way, we brought a couple extras with us." Jaune spoke up as he entered the common room, followed by team ABRN.

"Is this a normal occurrence? I feel like most teachers would force us to remain in class." Reese asked as she picked a spot on the floor.

"If it was, then the outskirts of the kingdom would likely be craters and wasteland, not forests and mountains." Yang joked.

"Plus, it's not every day that a large grimm can be taken down as well as used for publicity." Arslan added.

"That is correct." Ozpin said, as he appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, professor Ozpin, what can we do for you?" Weiss asked, recovering quickly.

"I just wanted to make my rounds while commercials were still running. It has been rather tiring having to deal with the council and the media." Ozpin explained.

"Will classes resume later today?" Pyrrha asked.

"No miss Nikos, with how late the news may run this, we determined that it would be better to cancel classes for the afternoon. Now if you would excuse me, I must return to my walk." Ozpin said, dismissing himself.

"No classes for the rest of the day? Awesome!" Nora cheered.

"Anyone want popcorn? I want a snack."

 _*Ruby*_

"Bullhead three one launching, confirm controller." The pilot spoke as the engines roared to life.

"Controller to bullhead three one, you are clear to launch. Repeat, bullhead three one, you are clear to launch." A voice responded from the console. Bracing herself, Ruby felt the ship lurch as the bullhead cleared the hangar.

"Alright, we're in the air now, miss Rose, miss Lavender, I would suggest you prep whatever you need to now. Less than a minute until we reach the target and doors open." The copilot shouted. Nodding, Ruby checked over her gear, feeling her magazines as well as her harness.

"Alright, cameras up, rolling in three, two, one!" Lisa ordered.

"Good afternoon Vale, this is Lisa Lavender, live from Mountain Glenn, where in a few short moments, Atlas will crack open the mountain and begin extermination of recently discovered grimm. I am with Ruby Rose, a student of Beacon academy, and member of the Third Eye program, a civilian program started in Atlas for the visually impaired." Pausing to put on ear protection, Lisa continued.

"Whether it is a single large grimm, or a horde of smaller grimm, Atlas has promised to eliminate the threat at the permission of the Vale council. Let's see what they are truly capable of." Lisa stepped to the side, allowing the camera a clear shot of Ruby as she opened Crescent Rose into its rifle form. Taking aim, Ruby let loose four shots in quick succession. Seeing the ice dust burst into crystals, Ruby smiled at her handiwork.

"Bring us around, twenty-three degrees to the left!" Ruby called to the pilot. As the bullhead settled, Ruby let loose another four shots. Her job was simple, highlight five points on the mountain, the highest, lowest and widest points of the signature, as well as the absolute center.

"Fifty degrees right!" Ruby called as she braced herself once more. Despite the roar of the engines and the camera, Ruby tuned out any distraction she could possibly have. Letting another four shots loose, Ruby noticed the airships begin aiming.

"Bring us up, twenty feet!" Loading a fresh magazine, Ruby waited for the ship to settle. Feeling the slight weightlessness subside, Ruby took aim. Feeling the camera on her, Ruby smiled slightly as the next eight shots rang out, peppering the close to the top and base of the mountain.

"Bring us back, tell the to begin firing as soon as the area is clear!" Ruby ordered. Changing the magazine once more, Ruby set aside her ice dust, swapping it out for a new custom load. Ruby had to give credit to Lisa, she certainly kept quiet throughout the entire operation.

"Bullhead three one to command, do you copy?" The pilot spoke.

"Command to bullhead three one, we read you loud and clear, what is the status of your assignment?" The bridge responded.

"Command, objective is completed, we are pulling back to a safe distance, guns are clear to fire on your command, repeat, guns are clear to fire." The pilot spoke once more.

"Bullhead three one, we read you loud and clear, commencing firing sequence, prepare for impact." As Ruby watched the gunships scatter, she prepared herself for the fireworks. Not a moment later, the sounds of the large cannons on the airships tore through the sky. As the shells impacted, Ruby watched the grimm shift, unfurling large wings, rivaling the size of one of the airships.

"That thing was hiding inside the mountain?! It's huge!" Ruby heard the copilot shout.

"All guns focus fire! Don't let it get far!" Ironwood ordered. As the large wyvern grimm lifted off the ground, concentrated fire began to pepper its wings.

"Blue leader to red leader, we got company!"

"This is gold two, we've been hit!"

"It's spawning grimm!" Ruby could hear the radio chatter as the wyvern flew around the mountain.

"All gunships, focus on the grimm it spawns, all main guns, focus on the left wing, if we can bring it down to the ground, we can focus fire directly on top of it!" Ironwood ordered.

"Bring us around its head, I have a plan!" Ruby ordered the pilot.

"Are you crazy? That will put us right in the firing line!" The pilot argued.

"Do it! I can help bring it down!" Ruby countered. With a groan of annoyance, the pilot complied.

"Bullhead three one, what are you doing?!" Command demanded.

"Making your job easier!" Ruby shouted, hoping she was heard. As the bullhead flew beside the wyvern's head, Ruby began working the bolt of her rifle. Lisa watched on in stunned silence as dust began exploding around the eyes of the massive grimm. Suddenly, the largest eye exploded, causing the wyvern to screech in pain.

"It's going down! Did that bullhead do that?!"

"Who cares, start firing on it and don't let up!" One of the gunners shouted. Holding on to the strap of her harness, Ruby felt the ship lurch as multiple streaks began to slam into the grimm. The screech of a dying grimm tore through the air, competing against the symphony of firing cannons and missiles. Black smoke began to billow up and mingle with the dust cloud that rose up as one final screech sounded.

"All units cease fire! Bullhead three one, confirm kill." Ironwood ordered.

"Bullhead three one, confirming kill." The pilot responded as he tried to calm his racing heart. The radio was silent, the only sound filling the air the roar of the engines and the occasional shot at a lone grimm. Descending into the billowing smoke, Ruby looked to where the grimm had landed.

"No signature, target is confirmed dead, I repeat, target is confirmed dead." Ruby said as the pilot opened the channel.

"Repeat bullhead three one, did you say target is dead?"

"Target is confirmed dead, repeat, target is confirmed dead." Ruby repeated.

"Confirmed bullhead three one, all units return home, mission success."

 **AN/ How was that? Did I do good? Canon is going to really be tossed out the window now, considering how certain events are supposed to go. Any predictions? Because it's about to get a little fluffy now. How fluffy? I don't know, but hey, that's the magic of my writing, I don't even know for sure until I start writing. This is now the, what, fifth time, that I've revealed my writing process? I don't remember anymore. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer, I do not now RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and about to be absolutely broke. Isn't adulting fun? Depending on how it goes, I may need to step down as a head cashier and go fulltime just to be able to pay rent and bills. That or transfer to the lumberyard and get hazard pay AND fulltime. Either way, it won't change anything for you guys, just how many hours per day I work. Anyways, enough about me and my failing finances, on to the chapter!**

With the kill confirmed, stunned silence hung through the air. Lisa, to her credit, quickly recovered.

"A quite impressive display from the Atlas military, and Vale's own Ruby Rose. After this commercial break, we will be conducting a full-scale interview. This is Lisa Lavender, signing off." Lisa finished as the bullhead landed in the hangar. Waiting for the engines to die down, Ruby gathered what little she needed.

"Congratulations miss Rose, you officially hold the record for the largest grimm kill in Vale." Ironwood praised as Ruby stepped off the ship, cane out.

"Thank you general, we couldn't have done it without your support." Ruby responded.

"Of course. We will be returning to Beacon shortly, I suggest you run along before miss Lavender tries to drag you to whatever makeshift studio she has. I would recommend that you use this week to rest and prepare for the tournament, you have certainly been busy these last few days." Ironwood suggested as he guided Ruby away from the news crew.

"I will, thank you general." Ruby said as she walked away from the crew. Hiding in a corner of the hangar, Ruby awaited the landing at Beacon.

 _*Beacon Dorm*_

"So, that was a thing." Yang stated, breaking the silence.

"I'm suddenly terrified of Ruby. Maybe a little aroused, but definitely terrified." Nora stated, receiving a sharp glare from Yang.

"I suppose I'll be the one filling out the paperwork for her then?" Weiss asked.

"No need, Ozpin already credited the kill to her. Look, it just went live." Yang said, showing her scroll. On the screen was a database of registered hunters and students, showcasing their achievements, years of service and their kills.

"I didn't even realize a full database existed for hunters." Blake stated.

"It was created back when my parents were in school. There was an issue of hunters making false claims to gain more rewards. So, a public database was created to detail each active duty hunter, everything from how many contracts they take, the difficulty of those contracts, kills, so on and so forth." Yang explained as she pulled up the file on her dad.

"Unless you went to a combat school or work with hunters a lot, it's not exactly something you would know about right away. You should have a file somewhere though Blake." Pyrrha said as she pulled out her own scroll.

"So how does this work then?" Blake asked as she pulled out her own scroll.

"You can search by any number of criteria, and it will pull up any number of hunters that fit that criteria. See, here's your page." Yang said as she showed Blake her own profile.

"So that's what those questions were for on the application." Blake said quietly as she inspected her own page.

"Looks like Ruby soared to the top of the charts. Already she's become one of the more sought-after hunters available. That girl is going to have so many offers once she graduates from this little stunt alone." Arslan commented.

"Let's celebrate when she gets back!" Nora cheered.

"No, by all rights, she shouldn't have even left her bed this morning, let alone take on a mission like that. She is resting as soon as she comes through that door." Weiss stated, leaving no room for argument.

"Aw man, you're no fun Weiss." Nora lamented.

"No, she's right Nora, Ruby needs to rest, and I'm saying that as her sister." Yang added. Suddenly, the roar of engines cut through the silence as Atlas ships returned.

"Last one there has to carry Ruby!" Nora suddenly shouted before taking off for the landing pads.

"We should stop her, shouldn't we?" Reese asked. Receiving nods from the red heads team, they all suddenly scrambled to stop the hyperactive girl. Stepping out of the building, they saw that Nora hadn't gotten very far.

"I guess everyone came out to see her." Jaune said, seeing the massive crowd of students that blocked his teammates path.

"Sadly, this is the best I could manage. Even miss Goodwitch would be unable to move them." Ozpin stated from their side.

"Ten Lien says that as soon as those doors open, Ruby is gone." Yang stated with a knowing smirk.

"I'm not even going to touch that one." Bolin chimed in. As if on que, a short glimpse of a red cloak was all that was seen before a trail of rose petals ripped through the air.

"And that is why she is such an awkward dork." Yang said, slightly disappointed at her lack of winnings. Seeing that the reaper didn't stick around, the crowd began to disperse.

"Any idea where she would've run off to?" Weiss asked.

"Yep, and sorry, but teammates only on this one." Yang stated before turning to go back inside.

 _*Ruby*_

As they approached the school, Ruby could see the massive crowd that had formed to see her. After dodging the news crew for the short trip, she just wanted to get back in bed and sleep. As she felt her ship setting down, Ruby waited for the whir of the door opening to stop before activating her semblance and bolting. Having memorized the paths leading to her dorm, Ruby was able to find the back door, allowing her inside without being seen.

'Finally, peace and quiet.' Ruby thought to herself as she began making her way up the stairs. Running her hand across the wall, Ruby felt for her rooms plate. Finding her room, Ruby quickly pulled her scroll from its pocket and unlocked the door. Noticing that her team was making their way up the stairs, Ruby quickly threw herself onto her bed. Feeling herself drift away, the last thing she heard was the door unlocking once more.

"Knew it. Looks like she passed out already." Yang said as she entered the room.

"Considering what she just pulled off, I would be exhausted too. Come on, we should let her rest." Weiss suggested, turning back to leave.

"No need, watch this." Yang said as she pulled an air horn from somewhere. Blasting it right by Ruby's face, the only reactions came from an irate Blake and annoyed Weiss.

"Do that again Yang, and I will break your aura and throw you out that window." Blake seethed.

"Oh, uh, sorry Blake, didn't really think that one through." Yang apologized as Blake ripped the horn from her hand.

"Clearly." Blake responded shortly before throwing the horn out the window.

"For as mad as I am at you right now, I do have to admit, Ruby certainly doesn't wake for anything if she's tired." Weiss admitted.

"That she does. So, while we wait for her to wake up from her nap, what should we do?"

 _*Hours Later*_

"Look, I refuse to allow Ruby to date someone that isn't even going to be staying around, end of story." Yang huffed. Somewhere along the line, Weiss had brought up Yang's glaring at other people.

"Is that really your choice to make though Yang?" Blake asked, hardly interested in anything other than her book.

"Ruby has more needs than you realize. Being blind means she needs someone nearby constantly." Yang argued.

"Is that what you were told, or what you tell yourself? Besides, this is Nora that we're talking about, do you really think she wouldn't hunt us down for some random three-month reunion? Besides, isn't she already with Ren?" Weiss countered.

"Just ease up on the girl. Who knows, maybe she'll find your in-law right after graduation." Blake added. Yang just sat there, simmering. Weiss continued to go over her notes while Yang fished out her scroll. Going through the hunter database once more, Yang pulled up some familiar files.

'Just where are you?' Yang asked herself as a familiar pair of red eyes looked back at her from the screen. Raven Branwen labeled the huntress on the display. After Mountain Glenn, Yang had been more confused than anything else. She had just had contact with her mother, but just like any evidence she found, she was gone before it was useful.

"Yang, stop pouting so loud." Ruby quietly spoke as she woke up.

"I wasn't pouting." Yang defended.

"And I'm not blind." Ruby shot back.

"So, how are you feeling?" Weiss asked as she set her notes down.

"Hungry, exhausted, proud." Ruby listed off.

"You should be, with that wyvern dead, people are talking. You've become an international hit." Weiss explained.

"So that makes three high profile students at Beacon, two of them being on the same team. The media are going to love this." Blake spoke up, setting her book aside.

"Don't remind me. Weiss, how likely is it that it's going to get brought up every chance they have at the tournament?" Ruby asked, removing her shata to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

"Highly. I would suggest staying near Pyrrha or I if it can be helped." Weiss offered.

"Thanks Weiss. So, what did I miss?" Ruby asked.

"Not much, we've been waiting for you to wake up. They should be serving dinner if you'd like to head down." Blake offered as she stretched.

"Might as well, see just how bad it is." Ruby groaned as she stretched, her joints audibly popping. "How'd you like the show?"

"Nora claimed that she was both terrified of you, and aroused, much to Yang's annoyance." Weiss explained.

"Of course she said that." Ruby sighed. Preparing herself mentally, Ruby followed her team, unsure of what to expect.

 **AN/ And that is it for now. I want one more chapter before we kick off the tournament, and this seemed like a good place to stop. I promise, we'll get to the sappy stuff soon, I promise. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and ready to get this show on the road! After this chapter, tournament time! Who's ready to watch the fight between RWBY and ABRN? Cause I've got tricks up my sleeve for the whole arc, and a little bit more suffering. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

As she expected, the moment the doors opened, Ruby could feel the stares she was getting from her classmates. Doing her best to try and ignore them, she followed Yang as she piled up her plate with food. With assistance, she was able to make it to their table where team JNPR were already sat.

"And here I thought you would lock yourself in your room for the week." Nora joked.

"Ease up on her Nora, it's not every day you pull off what she just did. Though I am surprised to see you out and about so soon." Ren commented.

"I'm hungry, plus I don't intend on using my team as maids, something I'm sure Weiss would have done in a similar situation." Ruby joked.

"Hey! That's not true!" Weiss defended.

"Sure Weiss, and I'm not blind." Ruby fired back. Seeing people begin to approach the table, Ruby tensed, something that didn't go unnoticed by Pyrrha.

"Hey, Ruby, right? Great job out there today. I was thinking, me, you, a nice little restaurant in Vale?" The first boy asked.

"Get lost lover boy, she's not into you." Yang spat, turning to face the other student.

"I don't believe my friend was talking to you, bimbo. So maybe not dinner, maybe we can go somewhere private and train then?" Another of the boys asked.

"I would rather not." Ruby spoke up meekly. Before anyone could react, the two boys were bent over, Nora yanking on their ears.

"I believe my friend here has just spoken, so I will give you five seconds to scram before your legs are bent forward and your toes are touching your chest." Nora threatened, releasing the two boys who quickly ran off.

"Not even ten minutes and you already have fanboys. I would say that's a new record, but they certainly aren't anything to be proud of." Pyrrha quipped.

"They're lucky Nora got to them first." Yang growled.

"Is everything alright?" Arslan asked, quickly approaching the group.

"Just some new fans is all." Ruby groaned in annoyance. Grabbing a handful of fries, Ruby quickly began feeding her ferocious appetite.

"You fully intend on eating all of that?" Arslan asked, looking over the small mountain of food piled onto the plate.

"Absolutely. Do you have any idea how many calories I burn in a single day?" Ruby asked before picking up a slice of pizza.

"She burns more than I do, and I'm a boxer with a heat-based semblance." Yang chimed in, glaring at any who dared approach the table.

"It's true. Normally I would have cookies piled high as well, but SOMEONE is determined that they need to prevent me from developing diabetes." Ruby spoke, turning towards Weiss. Looking between the others at the table confused, Arslan waited for an explanation.

"Watching those two fight over sweets is like watching strong winds try to push a mountain, fail to do so but still end up with what it wanted." Blake explained.

"Except today the gale force winds are tired and don't feel like fighting." Ruby grumbled as she finished her third slice of pizza.

"So, other than eating and avoiding a majority of the student body, what did you have planned for the rest of the day?" Arslan asked.

"You just listed off my plans for until the festival. And with only a week of class left for us, I think I can manage two weeks of avoiding everyone." Ruby stated.

"While I want to agree with you and let you hide in the room, I refuse to actually allow you to hide from everyone for the next two weeks. Stay with Weiss or Pyrrha if you need to, they're used to that kind of attention, but you have to realize, it's only going to get worse from here on out." Yang spoke with no room for argument.

"Fine." Ruby pouted as she finished her plate.

"You really ate all of that." Arslan said in disbelief.

"Duh, I said I would. Since I can't hide in my room, want to go out somewhere?" Ruby asked, turning towards Arslan.

"Sure, mind if I steal your leader for a bit?" Arslan asked, waiting for the reapers team to respond.

"Just keep an eye on her, she'll get into trouble if you let her." Yang said dismissively.

"I'm not the one who wrecked a night club they shouldn't have been in Yang." Ruby fired back.

"Touché, now go on, we're all still eating." Yang shooed as she took a bite from her sandwich. As the leaders left, Weiss looked at Yang confused.

"So, you're just going to let Ruby and Arslan go off on their own?" Weiss asked.

"Sure." Yang responded.

"Yet you were about to rip off someone's head for trying to ask her out, and don't think I didn't notice you glare at Nora earlier." Weiss accused.

"Those two boys clearly wanted more than what Ruby would have wanted, and Nora is Nora. What do you think I am, stupid? I see the signs just as well as you do." Yang responded, giving a knowing look at the heiress.

"Smooth, Yang. What tipped you off?" Weiss asked.

"The dance, mostly. What, did you expect me to go all big sister and try to keep anyone from dating her, or threaten Arslan with extreme bodily harm? I try to keep her from hurting herself on things she can't see, not try to spare her feelings from a bad breakup." Yang stated.

"Could have fooled us. So, how long until they actually start dating?" Nora asked, diving into the conversation.

"Ten lien says next week before the festival starts." Jaune wagered, slapping a card on the table.

"Agreed." Ren said as he tossed another card on the table.

"I say during the tournament." Blake added, another card on the table.

"I'm with Blake on this one." Pyrrha piped in, pulling a card from her wallet.

"Same!" Nora jubilantly spoke up, another card added to the pile.

"Please, I know my sister better than anyone, after the tournament, before the transfers leave." Yang said confidently.

"While I don't condone gambling, I want to know who wins. As a neutral party, I will hold onto the bets." Weiss stated as she scooped the cards off the table, separating them into a separate pocket.

 _*Ruby and Arslan*_

As the pair of leaders walked about the campus, Arslan began asking questions.

"So, is what just happened normal? Not the massive grimm part, but working with Atlas?" Arslan asked.

"Very. I'm pretty sure Ironwood is planning a personal ship or something for me so I can get to Atlas faster." Ruby joked.

"I would hope it comes with a pilot. You know, I just realized, we need to come up with a new bet, considering our old one is now void." Arslan suggested.

"You're right, we do. How about this, whoever can progress further in the tournament, gets a favor from the loser, how does that sound?" Ruby asked, turning towards the blonde.

"It's a deal. I already know what I would use it for." Arslan joked.

"Who says you'll win? Need I remind you, I took down a massive grimm wyvern this morning?" Ruby boasted.

"Well for one, my eyes work." Arslan countered, but immediately regretted her words.

"Wow, what a low blow, are you sure you haven't been spending too much time with me? Because that is something I would say." Ruby asked as she slowly descended into a laughing fit.

"You're not mad at me?" Arslan asked, confused.

"Arslan, the only people that offend me with blind jokes are the people who do it to mock me, you're fine." Ruby reassured as she tried to stifle her laughing. As Ruby recovered from her laughing fit, Arslan looked up to see that they had wandered to on of the secluded edges of the campus.

"Looks like we wandered away from the main campus a bit. We should start heading back, it's starting to get dark and I need to get to bed." Arslan spoke up, looking at her scroll to check the time.

"Fine, remember, I want updates if possible." Ruby reminded.

"Of course. Let me walk you back to your dorm." Arslan offered. Following close behind, the pair fell into idle chatter, talking about their respective teams and duties. Despite wanting to continue, Ruby knew Arslan needed her sleep. An idea formed in her head as they walked up the stairs. Standing outside her dorm, Ruby waited for Arslan.

"Well, it was good talking with you. I promise to keep you updated, though I think you stole all the excitement." Arslan joked.

"Maybe. Thanks for walking me back to my room. I enjoyed tonight as well." Ruby thanked. Pushing aside the butterflies she was feeling, Ruby lunged forward, hugging the blonde leader. Stunned, Arslan slowly reciprocated the action.

"Goodnight Arslan, good luck!" Ruby suddenly bolted into the room. Arslan, to her credit, wasn't at all phased.

"And she thinks she's embarrassed." She muttered to herself, her cheeks bearing a slight dusting of red. Walking back to her room, Arslan couldn't help the smile plastered across her face. Inside her own dorm, Ruby tried desperately to calm her racing heart.

"Why did I do that?" She asked out loud as she slumped to the floor, thankful that her team still hadn't returned. As she prepared for the night, her thoughts continually drifted to the other leader. Surely, she had overstepped some kind of boundary, but she had also returned the hug. Confused about what she was feeling, Ruby opted to talk to someone about it tomorrow. Climbing into bed, Ruby passed out quickly, thoughts of the tournament and Arslan filling her dreams.

 **AN/ Short and sweet. Hopefully. As I said, next chapter starts the tournament and kickstarts my whole plan and justification for the ship, though my justification is something that only works in this little AU I carved out. Anyways, let me know what you think, after this there won't be a whole lot left, maybe five to ten chapters, depends on how well I can manipulate canon and fill with some sweet fluffy goodness. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and dear god, I just finished a 4K-5K word chapter for Street Gem. Never though I was capable of it, but apparently, I am if I feel like a chapter shouldn't end without tying a bunch or random things together. Oh well. Anyways, as I promised, tournament time! And with it, a kickoff to relationships and fluff. Trust me, you'll like what I've got in store for our little blind hero. One more thing, what you are about to read is what started the entire idea. That's right, this chapter will give you a glimpse at the idea for this little crack ship that somehow gained 781 followers. On to the chapter!**

Ruby could barely contain her excitement. Here she was, at Beacon two years early, leader of her team, and about to show the world just what she was truly capable of in a fight. Like the rest of her team, she was unaware of who she would be fighting. She tuned out Oobleck and Port as they gave a rundown of the rules, explaining the event to anyone who had never before experienced the spectacle.

"You nervous Rubes?" Yang asked as she stretched.

"Nervous? How could I be? I'll be in my element! I was born for this!" Ruby cheered. Before she could continue, she heard the first team be decided.

"And our first team is team RWBY of Beacon!" Port announced.

"Correct! Led by none other than Ruby Rose herself, Beacon's own prodigy!" Oobleck continued.

"Fighting alongside her will be Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company! Followed by Blake Belladonna, a survival expert in her own right!" Port followed up.

"And Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's own sister and the resident brawler of Beacon!" Oobleck finished.

"And facing them today will be, team ABRN of Haven!" Port droned on.

"Lead by Arslan Altan, a martial arts master in the making! Bolin Hori, the hotheaded staff wielder following soon after!" Oobleck began again.

"Reese Chloris, a go-fast girl who might be the only one to give Ruby a challenge! And Nadir Shiko, the laid-back gunner bringing up the rear! Team RWBY, team ABRN, please take your place in the arena, let the tournament, begin!" Port cheered, causing the stadium to roar in agreement.

"Well, looks like we're up first. Let's show them how we do it at Beacon!" Yang cheered, pumping her fist. As Ruby led them out to the arena, she could already tell who Yang would be gunning for. It was hard to deny Yang a real fistfight, and Arslan was clearly a challenge Yang wanted to take.

"Good luck, I hope you don't mind getting knocked out right away." Reese teased.

"In your dreams Reese, need I remind you what kind of record I hold now?" Ruby shot back. Suddenly, something caught her attention before a wide grin split her face.

"What's up Ruby?" Blake asked.

"They're here!" Ruby said, pointing to a spot close to the shield wall. In the direction she indicated, a noticeable group of people were cheering for Ruby.

"I assume those are her friends?" Weiss asked.

"Straight from the program. Glad they'll get to watch you kick some butt?" Yang asked rhetorically.

"Combatants, are you ready? Three! Two! One! Fight!" Oobleck announced. Like a tightly wound spring, Yang shot forward, drawing Arslan towards the ice fields that had appeared. With a single shot, Ruby had knocked Nadir away as she flew back, providing cover fire for Blake and Weiss to charge forward, taking Reese and Bolin respectively.

The first thing Ruby noticed was the surprising amount of red dust surrounding her, followed by the slight heat. 'So, an ice field and something volcanic, I can work with this.'

Lining up a shot on Arslan, Ruby was unsurprised to see her duck in time for it to miss. Changing targets, Ruby aimed for Reese as she sped around on her hoverboard, narrowly avoiding Blake as she chased after.

Using the environment to her advantage, Weiss was able to knock Bolin away and skate around the pillar of ice she found herself at. Quickly creating a glyph, Weiss watched as Blake used the support to pounce on Reese, putting Blake on the offensive. Hearing footsteps behind her, Weiss turned to see Nadir behind her. Before he could react, two shots rang out, freezing his rifle and his feet in place.

"I've got your back!" Ruby shouted across the arena. Turning around as she recognized Bolin trying to sneak up on her, Ruby laughed.

"Shit." Was all he said as Crescent Rose swung at him. Blocking the swing, he never noticed a black glyph until Weiss planted her foot on his back, launching him away from the scythe wielder.

"Nice try Bolin, but you should have realized you can't just sneak up on me!" Ruby taunted as she brought the muzzle of Crescent Rose to bare on him.

"You're stronger than you look, what's your secret?" Yang asked as she swung at the other blonde.

"If you can keep up, maybe I'll tell you." Arslan taunted as she managed to lean back far enough to dodge Yang's swing. Countering with an elbow to the face, Arslan was surprised when Yang made no attempt to dodge, instead blocking her aura enhanced strike directly.

"Nifty little trick, but it'll take more than aura to put me down!" Yang immediately brought Ember Celica down before releasing a quick jab at Arslan's gut, firing her shotgun in time with the strike. Before any more words could be exchanged, the blonde pair instantly fell into a rhythm, exchanging blows and dodging swipes.

Ruby, to her credit, was able to focus on the others, cheering slightly as she saw Blake knock down Reese. Turning to assist Weiss with the other two, Ruby knew Blake would try to help Yang find an opening. Seeing Bolin and Nadir close in on Weiss, Ruby began to take pot shots as she closed the distance. Her attention entirely on the two boys, Ruby never noticed the fight that was rapidly approaching her position.

Yang could tell Arslan was building up for a powerful strike. The faster they moved together, the more it was telegraphed that she was planning something. A sudden idea popped into Yang's mind. 'What if I use her style against her?' Yang wondered. Suddenly, with a flurry of motion, Arslan went for an uppercut, enhanced with her aura. Reacting, Yang swung down, enhancing her strike with her own aura. As their fists met, she could only describe the sensation as if two wrecking balls collided. As she was launched backwards across the ice, a scream broke through the noise of the fighting.

Ruby was atop Bolin as Weiss quickly picked apart Nadir. Swiping at Bolin, Ruby was able to take a quick breath. Glancing back to her sister, Ruby watched as the two took rather large swings at each other. Realizing what was about to happen, Ruby failed to notice the large amount of aura concentrated near their hands. Before she could react, an explosion of aura shot across the arena. The last thing she saw was Arslan being flung back towards her as she dropped to the ground, screaming in agony as she clutched her head.

Arslan looked down, shocked at what she was witnessing. Ruby, writhing on the ground, clearly in pain but not a single scratch on her. As she dropped to her knees beside the reaper, a voice began to cut through the pained screams.

"Put her down!" A voice shouted. Feeling eyes on her from all around, Arslan twisted, looking for whoever was shouting. Finally, her eyes landed on someone in the front row, a familiar symbol on his jacket. Realization struck her. As the others in the arena turned towards her, Arslan acted quickly, turning Ruby's head to the side. Flattening her palm and focusing her aura, Arslan struck quickly. As her palm made contact, the screaming stopped.

Silence hung through the air as Arslan quickly began checking Ruby for any signs of excessive force. She could feel both of the reaper's teammates staring at her. However, their hate filled glares couldn't have prepared her for the sudden explosion from the ice field. As if regaining their composure, Oobleck and Port began speaking again.

"And in a sudden turn of events, Ruby Rose is down for the count, a mercy strike from Arslan Altan sparing her the sudden pain of what had just happened!" Port boomed, trying to salvage the situation.

"That is correct, Ruby, like others in her program, is susceptible to sudden surges of aura and dust, a truly painful experience for anyone of her comrades to go through." Oobleck explained, hoping to avoid the international incident this could cause. As Yang exploded from the ice she landed in, she could barely hear what Port and Oobleck were saying, her eyes fixed firmly to the screen. Watching as Arslan knocked Ruby out cold, she felt something snap, her vision turning red.

"Arslan!" Yang boomed. Catching everyone's attention. Arslan, to her credit, stood her ground, despite the terrifying image before her. Heat was coming off of Yang's body in waves, melting the ice as she stalked forward. Her hair glowed, as though it was fire itself, but the most terrifying thing was her eyes, no longer the lilac she remembered them being. Instead, they were now blood red, and full of rage.

"Oh dear, this is not good." Oobleck spoke through the speakers.

"There are only two things Yang Xiao Long will become enraged over. Her hair, and her sister." Port explained. Weiss and Blake shared a fearful look. This was bad, Yang wouldn't stop until Arslan was in intensive care when she was through with her. Before either could react, Yang suddenly shot forward, intent on turning Arslan into a grease stain. Thinking quickly, Weiss created a sheet of ice beneath the brawler as Blake threw Gambol Shroud at her partner. The combo only angered Yang further as she grabbed at the ribbon, yanking hard and throwing Blake off balance.

"Arslan, she wont stop until you're gone!" Weiss shouted at the Haven leader. Nodding, Arslan turned and ran. Yang however, refused to let the girl go. Exasperated, Weiss stepped between the two blondes, facing Yang. She knew Ruby meant a lot to Yang, but for her attitude towards Arslan to do such a complete turn, Weiss found herself becoming annoyed. Creating a glyph, Weiss kept her eyes locked on the charging blonde. Had she been paying attention to the glyph she was creating, Weiss would have congratulated herself.

"Yang, stop!" Weiss shouted, giving yang one last chance. Ignoring her, Yang continued forward. Blake watched in awe as a massive sword suddenly sprouted from the glyph. With a swing of her arm, the sword followed the motion. In an instant, Yang was swatted away with ease, crashing into the shield protecting the audience.

"And Yang Xiao Long is out, from friendly fire no less!" Port boomed. Weiss payed him no mind as she turned towards the other team. Simply pointing her rapier towards them, Weiss dispatched the rest of team ABRN with ease.

"And team RWBY wins!"

 **AN/ And that is a chapter! I know, things happened, I will explain next chapter, I promise. This is only the beginning, and I plan on including some more characters in this arc, one who will have a lot more involvement than in canon. But for now, this is where I want to leave this chapter, and I know plenty of you may not be happy with it, but I feel I can do a better job explaining after the action has passed. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, and ready to continue the suffering! I took a week off from writing last week, so apologies for this being kinda late, but I was not having a good week. Also, to address a message from one of you, do you really expect me to give up story details? Really? I'm not about to give up spoilers just because you're asking, it's like asking J J. Abrams how episode 9 ends before the movie even hit theaters. Wait like everyone else for me to write and publish what happens. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

Weiss decided that she was going to be annoyed at everything she set her eyes on. It was far easier to be annoyed at everything rather than focus on the growing list of things that actually annoyed her, she reasoned.

"I'm going to kill her." Weiss stated, staring down the blonde she called a teammate.

"While I would agree with you, please don't kill my partner, not until after graduation anyways." Blake responded to the threat.

"I'm right here you know! And still fully conscious!" Yang snapped.

"Maybe cut her hair in her sleep for the time being then?" Weiss asked.

"Maybe. Ask Ruby when she wakes up. Honestly, I'm glad she got her own room this time around." Blake agreed.

"Do it and I end you!" Yang threatened.

"Then don't fly into a bloodthirsty rage at another student you absolute imbecile!" Weiss shouted, acknowledging the brawler.

"She hurt Ruby!" Yang countered.

"And did the right thing by knocking her out like that! One of her friends from the program came up to us and told us that he had personally thanked Arslan for doing what she did!" Blake shouted, shutting the blonde down.

"We get that Ruby is your sister and that you care for her, but you can't always protect her, and sometimes drastic measures have to be taken. But you had no right acting the way you did. You're lucky that you didn't get us disqualified or cause an international incident." Weiss chastised.

"Come on Weiss, let's go check on Ruby, we should be there if she wakes up soon." Blake suggested as she turned to leave.

"Think about what you did you dunce. I fully expect an apology from you when they release you. Gods it's like I'm punishing a six-year-old." Weiss groaned as she followed her faunus teammate out of the room. Closing the door behind her, Weiss audibly groaned in annoyance.

"Any word from Arslan?" Blake asked.

"Her and her team are still getting checked out, we did kind of wipe the floor with them." Weiss admitted.

"That you did. I don't think I have ever seen that glyph before." Blake started.

"Because I had never been able to produce it with any effect before. It was a summoning glyph, the one glyph my family is supposed to be known for." Weiss admitted.

"Right, inherited semblance. What were you summoning?" Blake asked as she led the way to their leader.

"The Arma Gigas I killed to prove I had what it took to be here, or at least it's sword arm." Weiss explained.

"You know full well that Ruby will absolutely flip when she sees that." Blake spoke.

"I am well aware." Weiss groaned in acceptance. Standing outside the door to Ruby's room, Weiss and Blake fell silent. Opening the door and stepping in, they both cringed at the sight before them. Ruby lay unmoving, bandages wrapped around her head, padding the side Arslan had hit.

"They said that since her aura broke, they had to go the old-fashioned route. It's mostly just holding dust against her head to prevent swelling, but they weren't sure how she would heal." Blake explained. Looking over Ruby, the one thing they silently agreed on, was just how frail and pathetic she looked. While she was younger, and shorter than most of their class, Ruby looked even smaller than usual.

"Concussion?" Weiss asked.

"Probably, they want to keep her in bed while they determine the extent of her injuries. They said she'll be released in a couple days." Blake spoke.

"Within reason and depending on when she actually wakes up. Arslan knows how to hit." Weiss corrected.

"I'm going to go check on them. We have some time before we have to submit who is going on, but I think it's fairly obvious." Blake said.

"You're not who I would have initially chosen to fight beside, but we've pulled through worse." Weiss agreed.

"It'll be interesting, that's for sure. Let me know if she wakes up." Blake requested as she left. Turning back down the hall, Blake began searching for team ABRN. Going downstairs to the larger rooms, Blake quickly found who she was looking for.

"That was certainly one way to start the tournament." She heard Bolin say.

"You're telling me. Did you see Yang? She looked about ready to rip your head off." Reese continued.

"In her defense, I knocked her blind younger sister unconscious and may have given her a concussion. But I certainly wasn't expecting that." Arslan admitted.

"Looks like we have a visitor." Nadir spoke up, gesturing to where Blake stood.

"Come on in, here to check up on the losers?" Reese joked.

"I had to make sure we didn't hurt you too badly. Sorry about Yang, by the way." Blake apologized, turning towards Arslan.

"Not a problem, I understand. How is Ruby?" Arslan asked.

"Still out, but it has only been about twenty minutes. They're hoping she wakes up within the hour. Thank you, for doing that. I know what it's like having your senses suddenly assaulted like that, but not quite as painfully. You did her a favor." Blake assured.

"Do you know what her friend told me?" Arslan responded.

"That the pain is like a flashbang?" Blake guessed.

"No, that the pain Ruby would've been feeling, was like if someone crammed a red dust crystal into your brain and sparked it. I can only imagine what that felt like." Arslan explained remorsefully.

"Again, you did her a favor, she won't hold it against you. Oh, and Yang will be apologizing to you. We've already threatened her for what she did." Blake explained.

"I appreciate it. We'll be up soon, do you mind if I stop by Ruby's room?" Arslan asked.

"Of course, come right on up. She might even wake up while you're there. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and let the professors know who will be going on." Blake dismissed herself.

 _*One Hour Later*_

"I still feel bad." Arslan admitted.

"Don't, she would probably smack you right now if she could." Weiss spoke.

"You're probably right, but still, I took her out of the running for the tournament, she had to have been looking forward to this." Arslan reasoned.

"She was, but she also is extremely practical. Even if she didn't get knocked out, she would still have put someone else in if it meant victory." Weiss explained.

"Fair enough I suppose. I'm getting hungry, either of you want something?" Arslan asked, standing.

"I'm fine, thanks though." Blake responded.

"A water would be fine, thank you." Weiss requested. As Arslan stepped out, Weiss turned to Blake.

"No." Was all Blake said.

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" Weiss argued.

"Don't need to. JNPR is going to be starting soon, I'm sure Jaune would like for his girlfriend to watch him fight." Blake suggested, not looking up from her book.

"I probably should. Let me know when she wakes up?" Weiss asked.

"Of course, I'll even let you know when Yang gets out of bed so you can yell at her some more." Blake joked.

"I'd appreciate that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go watch a fight." Weiss dismissed as she stood. With the heiress now gone as well, Blake sighed.

"Mmnn" A soft groan to her side quickly caught Blake's attention. Keeping her voice quiet, Blake spoke up.

"Easy Ruby, easy. How's your head?" Blake asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"Like a horde of boarbatusk rolled over me." Ruby groaned quietly.

"I'm going to get a nurse, ok?" Blake asked, receiving a weak nod from the reaper. Standing, Blake quickly made her way to the nurse's station.

"Is everything alright?" One of the nurses asked.

"My leader just woke up." Blake said simply.

"Of course, we'll be right in. Does she need anything else?" The nurse asked.

"No, that's all." Blake spoke, watching as a pair of nurses began to gather some items. Turning back to the room, Blake saw Arslan walk past.

"Oh, Blake, what's going on, is she up?" The blonde asked.

"Just woke up and Weiss let to go watch one of the fights." Blake explained.

"I can come back." Arslan suggested.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'd love to have you there, we'll just have to wait outside." Blake assured.

"If you say so." Arslan conceded. It didn't take long for the nurses to descend on the younger girl. Checking over her, they came to an agreement that she was mostly fine.

"What do you mean she's mostly fine?" Blake asked, hoping for the nurse to clarify.

"Exactly that, she is mostly fine, no real lasting damage, no broken bone, surprisingly, no concussion, but what is concerning is, not something we're equipped to handle." One of the nurses explained.

"What she means is that her ability to see hasn't returned. We did a preliminary scan of her brain and found no damage, but we don't know enough to be of any help here." The other nurse continued.

"So, she's completely blind?" Arslan asked.

"For the time being, yes. We've already contacted doctors' part of her program, someone is already on their way who can help, but until then, if it doesn't return naturally before they can arrive, then she will remain blind." The nurse finished.

"Can we see her now?" Blake asked.

"Of course, but she's, understandably, upset." The first nurse warned.

"Thank you." Arslan bowed as the nurses stepped away.

"Don't beat yourself up over it Arslan." Blake started.

"I just took away the one thing Ruby had that allowed her to be here, how can I not beat myself up?" Arslan asked, tears threating to spill.

"Nobody could've predicted this, it's still experimental. Did Ruby ever tell you that she's the first one in the program to actively face combat?" Blake asked, looking Arslan directly in the eyes.

"No, she hasn't, though a few of the articles I found on he suggested it." Arslan admitted.

"Atlas keeps a close eye on her, from what I've been told anyways. Anything new is instantly reported back to those in charge of her program, and immediately tested and taught to the others. To say she is going through this blind is both ironic and accurate." Blake explained.

"Point taken." Arslan conceded, tears no longer threatening to break past the dam. Following Blake into the room, Arslan noticed once more that the shata was no longer present on her face.

"Blake, is that you?" Ruby asked, perking up at the sound.

"And Arslan. How are you feeling?" Blake asked, concerned.

"They gave me some painkillers, but I know they already told you." Ruby trailed off.

"I'm sorry Ruby, had I known, I would have-" Arslan started.

"No, you did the right thing. I was in so much pain that I would have been more than willing to shoot myself if it didn't stop sooner. Thank you, by the way." Ruby said, stopping Arslan with her admission.

"It really hurt that bad?" Blake asked.

"Pour fire into your head and you tell me how bad that feels." Ruby deadpanned.

"Sorry, I just had to be sure." Blake apologized.

"It's fine Blake sorry for snapping. So Arslan, who wins our little bet?" Ruby asked.

"Considering your team is going on, I would say you." Arslan stated.

"Then as your favor to me, can you stick with me? I'm going to need help getting around until we can get my sight sorted, and I'm not sure who we're sending from my team." Ruby asked, silver eyes staring into green.

"I did kinda cause this. Of course, it's only fair anyways." Arslan agreed.

"Adorable. Ruby, I feel you should know that we put Yang in the infirmary as well." Blake admitted.

"What? Why?" Ruby asked, turning her head towards the faunus.

"After I knocked you out, she kinda," Arslan started.

"Went berserk. She was gunning for Arslan specifically and wouldn't stop until she was in worse shape than you. So, Weiss and I, mostly Weiss, threw her out of the arena and broke her aura." Blake finished.

"That blonde idiot! Is she awake and out of bed?" Ruby asked, seething.

"Awake? Yes. Out of bed? Not sure. If it makes you feel any better, Weiss and I did tell her that she needs to apologize for her actions." Blake explained.

"Drag her up here now, by the ear or hair, I don't care. If she gives you shit tell her I said so." Ruby ordered her teammate. Not wanting to face the young leader's wrath, Blake quickly scurries out of the room.

"Do you want me to leave?" Arslan asked.

"Absolutely not." Ruby states. Having watched the display unfold in front of her, Arslan slowly becomes more and more concerned. A bomb was about to go off, and she wasn't sure if what she was feeling was fear mixed with slight arousal, or arousal slightly mixed with fear.

 **AN/ And that's it! Another chapter down, and still more to go, and now that Arslan and Ruby are going to be glued at the hip, more relationship building! Yay! So, on another note, I just recently started my third playthrough of the Mass Effect trilogy, would you guys be willing to see some Mass Effect fanfiction from me? I've got some ideas already, but if there is a distinct lack of interest from my base readers, I'll likely stick to RWBY. Tell me what you think, and until next time, have a great day!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer, I not own RWBY**

 **AN/ I'm back, now, show of hands, who's ready to see angry Ruby? Because after the week I just had at work, I am more than ready to write this piece of the chapter. That being said, the longer I work, the more I'm reminded of why I absolutely despise people. On another note, not a single person responded to my question last chapter. How would you guys feel about me adding Mass Effect to my roster? I Just finished my third playthrough of Mass Effect 2 and am about to start Mass Effect 3. Let me know if that's something you would like to see, I've got some other RWBY stories to start and finish first, but I may start mixing in Mass Effect. Anyways, on to the chapter!**

"Blake, just how mad is Ruby?" Yang asked as Blake led her to her sisters' room.

"She demanded I bring you here, dragging you by your hair if need be. And if you turn and run, I will start grabbing hair." Blake threatened as she watched the color drain from her partners face.

"Shit." Was all Yang said as Blake suddenly stopped. As Blake opened the door, Yang followed close behind, not once looking over to Arslan.

"Is that you Blake?" Ruby asked, turning her head towards the sound.

"And Yang, as requested." Blake added.

"Good, if either of you want to step out, now is your chance. Blake, if you could please close the door." Ruby asked.

"Of course, I'll just be outside. Arslan, are you staying?" Blake asked.

"If you wouldn't mind." Arslan quickly followed the faunus out the door. Waiting for the telltale click, Ruby launched into a ferocious tirade.

"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!" Ruby screeched. Flinching, Yang tried to form an argument.

"R-" She started.

"NO! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?! Targeting another student, having to be taken down by friendly fire? Do you really think that is something I wanted to hear after waking up from being punched in the side of the head?! NO! Do you ever think when something involves me? Do you?! Arslan did the right fucking thing and you know it! I'm blind Yang, but not helpless, but apparently you don't see me that way!" Ruby shouted, thankful that the nurses weren't going to come running with her heart rate steadily rising.

"Ruby, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, I saw you go down and-" Yang spoke quickly, trying to calm Ruby down.

"You saw me go down, so you flew into a bloodthirsty rage?! I expect better from you Yang, not as my teammate but as my sister. You will not be going on, Weiss and Blake will, and I don't care if they cleared you for combat. You will watch from the sidelines and like it, and after the tournament, you will be working on your temper, understood?" Ruby demanded, venom dripping from her voice.

"Y-yes Ruby, I understand." Yang responded quietly.

"Good, tell them they can come back and apologize to Arslan. Then go back to the dorm and think about what you've done. We'll talk as a team when I'm out of this bed." Ruby spoke.

"Ok Ruby." Yang responded, crushed.

"She's right you know." Was all Blake said as the door opened.

"Arslan, I'm very sorry for my actions in the tournament. What I did wasn't right, I let my temper get the better of me and almost hurt you in the process, can you forgive me?" Yang apologized, bowing her head slightly.

"I hurt your sister, I understand, even if you did kind of fly off the wall. Just, please, try not to let it happen again." Arslan responded. Nodding, Yang silently left the room.

"Are you good? The nurses were about to break down the door if it weren't for one of them telling them you were fine." Blake asked.

"I'm good, just got the heart racing, nothing unusual. You two enjoy the doubles round, hopefully I'll be able to watch." Ruby said, dismissing Blake.

"We'll do our best, I promise. You need to take it easy in the meantime." Blake responded.

"Yeah I know, that's why I got Arslan here with me." Ruby said with a smile.

"What did I agree to?" Arslan groaned.

"Nothing too out of the usual. Afterall, I do need someone to help me while I'm unable to fight or really do anything." Ruby responded innocently.

"I did agree to that. So, what should we do while we wait for an all clear?"

It was only two hours later before the nurses allowed Ruby out of bed, with a stern warning about not doing anything potentially strenuous.

"So, now that you're free, where would you like to go?" Arslan asked as Ruby held onto her arm. Arslan had to admit, she could certainly get used to having Ruby holding onto her.

"I want to leave Yang alone, do you mind if we go to your dorm? Or the library?" Ruby asked.

"Of course. Let's go to the library, imaginations would be less active that way." Arslan joked.

"Please, you couldn't ever take advantage of me, but a good book does sound nice right now." Ruby shot back. To her credit, Arslan was able to keep the blush that would've given her away from showing.

'Not that it would matter all things considered.' Arslan thought to herself. With a destination set, Arslan led her fellow leader around the campus, looking for the library.

"So, what do you like to read Arslan?" Ruby suddenly asked.

"History mostly. I've never really gotten into non-fiction, never could get that invested in a world I had to read to understand. What about you?" Arslan asked.

"A little bit of everything. But I am limited in what I can read myself considering I need braille copies of books, which sadly, are not in the highest of demand." Ruby grumbled.

"Give it time, I'm sure publishers will be throwing whatever book you want at your feet, just try not to trip over them." Arslan joked.

"Right, wouldn't be the first time that happened." Ruby cringed at a particular memory. Walking up the steps with Arslan's help, Ruby began feeling the air, looking for the door.

"Why don't I get the door?" Arslan asked, amused at Ruby's flailing.

"Fine." Ruby pouted. If Arslan wasn't already sure of her feelings, the sight in front of her would have stolen her heart. As the door opened, the pair were greeted with the scent of old books, the sounds of hushed conversations and warmth.

"I have to say. I'm kind of jealous of your library here. Sure, Haven has an impressive collection, but it's nothing compared to Beacon." Arslan admitted.

"So, I've heard. They actually added even more books when I was enrolled, both for me specifically as well as some science journals involving the program." Ruby explained.

"Then I know what I'm reading, anything in particular you would like to read?" Arslan asked as she led Ruby to a secluded couch.

"Surprise me, the braille books are near the science journals." Ruby said as she sank into the couch. Shaking her head, Arslan began searching for the appropriate books. Finding the journals was easy, however picking out a book for Ruby proved more challenging.

'She said she'll read just about anything, so why don't I grab this one, this one, and, that one.' Arslan thought to herself as she now balanced four books on top of one another. Finding Ruby laying comfortably on the couch, Arslan couldn't help the small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"I wasn't sure what you would like, so I got three books for you, take your pick." Arslan announced when Ruby perked up at the noise.

"What'd you pick?" Ruby asked excitedly.

"I got three of the newer books, one on the history of Mistral, one on fighting styles and tactics, and some kind of novel, I wasn't paying too much attention to it honestly." Arslan admitted.

"Hand that history book here, might as well return the favor, considering the fact I know you looked up as much as you could about us." Ruby shot at the blonde.

"Me? I would never! Why, I feel insulted that you would even imply such a thing!" Arslan mock defended.

"So, why exactly did you do research on us? I'm not mad, just curious." Ruby asked as she opened her own book.

"It's a habit, also, it allows me some quiet time. I love my team and all, but they're a real headache sometimes. They want nothing to do with it, so whenever I need some time alone, I threaten them with helping me dig up information. But when I heard about the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the four-time undefeated champion of Mistral, and a child prodigy with eyes that didn't work, it became less about having time to myself and more about learning about you. You piqued my interest like no one else ever has Ruby." Arslan admitted.

"Well, thanks. Nobody has ever said that about me before. What caught your attention?" Ruby asked.

"The youngest ever admitted to a combat school, wielder of the scythe, one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed, fought Roman Torchwick all without the use of your eyes. What about you wouldn't have caught my eye?" Arslan asked. Only after Ruby tilted her head did she realize what she had just said.

"So, I caught more than just your attention then?" Ruby asked, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"That's not what I meant!" Arslan quickly responded, barely managing to keep from shouting as a furious blush spread across her face.

"Sorry Arslan, I know, I just like teasing people. Forgive me?" Ruby asked apologetically.

"It's fine, normally I don't get my words mixed up like that." Arslan accepted. Secretly, she hoped Ruby couldn't hear her heart as it hammered away furiously. Ruby on the other hand thought back to the short conversation she had with Pyrrha.

'Does Arslan like me?' She asked herself. She knew people well enough that usually if someone got flustered like that, then there was a hint of truth. After Pyrrha had explained what it was that she was likely feeling, Ruby concluded that she did in fact lie Arslan. Now, she just had to find a way to act on it. Despite the limited time they had together, Ruby felt like she had all the time in the world to figure it out.

 **AN/ And that is a chapter! Some progress towards them getting together, Yang having been put in timeout, and angry Ruby, all in one! I'm proud of the ending of this chapter for sure, but I feel like I need to touch up on some things in the next chapter, we'll see when I sit down and start writing. Also, let me know what you guys think of adding in Mass Effect, I have three other RWBY stories to get working on before I even start Mass Effect, but I still want to know your thoughts. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY**

 **AN/ Welcome back everyone! New chapter for you, as well as an update, I have one week left of class as of writing this first note, I will also be switching to full time at work and taking a semester off from college. I will still be writing, I promise I won't just fall off the face of the Earth, but money has been far too tight for me to keep on going like I have been, so I had to make choices. Anyways, enough about my depressing state of affairs, on to the chapter!**

Ruby was content with her current setup. She had a fresh book in her hands, great company, and a desire to cuddle into the girl she was currently sat next to. Arslan was feeling everything the young reaper was as well. When Ruby shifted closer, Arslan found that she had no argument to stop her from doing so.

"So, the sea is a big part of Mistrali culture?" Ruby suddenly asked.

"For the most part, yes. In the early days of the kingdom, most people found protection or their lives out on the waves. Almost every major housing district has a view of the ocean, and the nicest districts are usually built into the cliffside. The port is also the largest in the world, though I'm not sure how much that would interest you." Arslan explained.

"It sounds beautiful." Ruby responded quietly.

"It is, though I find that the view here in Vale is better in some respects. Tell me about Patch?" Arslan asked.

"We're a small island covered mostly in forest, though there is a single large hill. We have a number of traditions, though some of them have bled into Vale proper, one you already know of." Ruby explained.

"I certainly do, what other traditions bled through?" Arslan continued.

"Mostly smaller traditions. Have you ever been to one of the bakeries in Vale? They have flowers lined up in a certain order to tell what kind of bread has been made, or if there was an issue in baking that day. In the markets, it's common to see vendors making trades based on what they could have an easier time selling." Ruby explained further.

"So, Patch has always been about helping each other then. It makes sense, for such a small island." Arslan added.

"Yeah, though it sounds like the council might be pushing to release Patch from Vale, a small chain of islands nearby has recently been cleared, and with their proximity to Patch, the available land would put us above Menagerie, if only slightly. We would be the sixth kingdom, though I think Menagerie should hold that title instead." Ruby explained.

"Hold on, they would release Patch? Any other kingdom would kill to increase their available land." Arslan asked, confused.

"That is true, though the islands are too close to Vale for Vacuo to try to claim, and if Atlas tried, it would be a blatant insult to Vale. And Patch wasn't exactly, peacefully, absorbed into Vale. There weren't any rebellions, but the Patch natives certainly weren't happy and made it known. Besides, Mistral has shown exactly why a massive kingdom doesn't work as well as everyone thinks it would. It would be an interesting sight though, because I know that the faunus would almost immediately push to be seen as a direct equal to the other kingdoms. Then maybe more huntsmen academies would be founded." Ruby reasoned.

"You're probably right if I'm being honest. Though I've never heard about Patch being hostile towards Vale. What can you tell me about that?" Arslan asked, intrigued about the peaceful islanders.

"Well, like I said, we were a small island, and we didn't have much in terms of resources. Our ancestors were largely Valeans and Vacuans who fled their respective kingdoms during an old war, and they lived in isolation for close to five hundred years, living off of everything the island provided. But then Vale began looking off the coast for more land and resources, and that's when they found us." Ruby started.

"Now how long ago was this?"

"Getting close to two hundred years. A lot of the island's history is told orally, but we've been pushing to write it all down before it's lost. When Vale landed, they were met with an inhabited island full of people who wanted nothing to do with them. They saw it as an insult, and formally claimed us and our land as their own without our input. To say we fought over it would be an exaggeration, but we did put Vale's economy on the brink of collapse." Ruby explained, teeming with pride over her ancestors.

"Remind me never to piss you off, you'll ruin me, and I'll be the one feeling guilty over it." With a light chuckle from the two girls, a comfortable silence settled around them as they continued to read. As She read her book, Arslan could feel Ruby slowly lean over as she began to sleep. Taking the book from her lap, Arslan allowed Ruby to relax against herself. With the reaper now snuggled into her side, Arslan continued her book, looking over occasionally to make sure the younger girl was still comfortable.

 **AN/ Stupid short chapter today. Just trying to show I'm not dead and to get the ball rolling again. This took about a month to write, between the two times I opened Word on my laptop, and things are slowly looking better for me. I start full time soon and some of my payments are ending as well, so, yeah, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a great 2020, until next time, have a great day!**


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